The Evil Queen's Brother
by 64thVanSull
Summary: This is my own version of the show if Regina had a younger brother. As far as I know, this is the first story for this show with such a character. See how Nicholas Mills interacts with the town of Storybrooke and how he affects our heroes and villians' lives from the beginning of the Evil Queen's rule to when Emma Swan comes to town. Leave reviews, like and follow if you like it.
1. The Queen's Brother

**Hello, everyone! It's me, 64thVanSull back with a new story! This idea has been in my head for the past month and I've finally decided to act on it. Don't worry if anyone who has read my Avengers/Percy Jackson Crossover I have not abandoned it. I'm just lacking good ideas for it at the moment and I haven't received any inspiration for it lately.**

 **As for this story, as the name implies, this story is about my OC, The Evil Queen's/Regina's brother. As far as I know, this is the only story where Regina has a younger brother. His name is Nicholas and he has an even darker past than his sister's. He is a character from old stories, but you'll have to wait and keep reading if you want to find out who he really is.**

 **Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters. (That was the shortest disclaimer I've written in months!)**

Over twenty-eight years ago, in a land called the Enchanted Forest, the handsome Prince Charming dressed in red rode his steed hoping to win his race against time. As he rode further into the forest, he came upon the sight he prayed he wouldn't have to meet; Snow White, the woman he loved, lying in a glass coffin surrounded by seven weeping dwarves. At this sight of his true love, Charming too began to silently cry.

"You're too late." Doc said sadly.

"No, no!" Charming refused, "Open it." he demanded.

"I'm sorry, she's gone." Grumpy apologized.

"At least let me say goodbye." he pleaded. Understanding the prince's pain, the dwarves removed the glass covering Snow White's face. Charming then kneeled down to kiss his love one last time and not a second after their lips met, a wave of magic erupted from them. It was then that Snow White woke up with a loud gasp causing everyone around her to be filled with joy.

"You found me." she said to her prince.

"Did you ever doubt I would?" he asked playfully.

"Truthfully, the class coffin gave me pause." she replied happily.

"You never have to worry," Charming reassured, "I will always find you."

"Do you promise?" Snow asked.

Months later at their wedding, Charming gave his response. "I promise."

"And do you, Snow White, take this man to be your husband and love him for all eternity?" asked the minister.

"I do." she said smiling like never before, not once taking her eyes off of Charming.

"Then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." the minister declared causing the huge crowd around them to cheer at the top pf their lungs. But just as they were about to have their first kiss as husband and wife, the Evil Queen, dressed in black, interrupted them simply with her presence.

"Sorry I'm late." she mocked darkly as she approached the happy couple. As two guards attempted to stop her, she simply waved her arms and sent them flying with her magic.

"It's the queen, run!" Doc cried while Snow took Charming's sword and pointed it at her step-mother.

"She's not the queen anymore!" she cried, "She's nothing more than an evil witch!"

"Don't stoop to her level, there's no need." Charming coaxed before he spoke to the queen, "You're wasting your time, you've already lost. And I will not let you ruin this wedding."

"Oh, I haven't come here to ruin anything." sweetly corrected the Evil Queen, "On the contrary, dear, I've come to give you a gift."

"We want nothing from you!" Snow snapped.

"But you shall have it." the queen retorted, "My gift to you is this happy, happy day." she said in disgust, "But tomorrow, my real work begins. You've made your vows, now I make mine. Soon everything you love, everything all of you love will be taken from you. Forever. And out of your suffering will rise my victory. I shall destroy your happiness…if it is the last thing I do."

With nothing more to say, the Evil Queen sharply turned and made her way out of the castle. But just then, Charming cried out to her as he threw his sword. But just as it was about to impale her, she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. In an instant later, Regina was back in her castle huffing in anger at the memory of Snow White's happiness.

"So," asked a young man, roughly a few years older than Snow, from a desk in the room, "How did it go?" He had dark brown hair, slightly lighter than Regina's and wore a forest green trench coat over a matching vest and black button down shirt with black slacks. He also wore crescent moon reading glasses over his hazel brown eyes and had his desk covered with papers and scientific equipment.

Regina responded by smacking a few perfume bottles off of her cabinet in anger before plopping on a love seat. "That bad, huh?" he asked not wanting to poke the bear. "Vowing to destroy everyone's happiness. Big words. Think you can deliver?" he asked.

"I can and I will." Regina replied hotly as she stared at the outside view from her seat, "You don't think I can, do you?" she asked as she glared at the young man.

"I'd rather you didn't. But I know just how stubborn you can get."

"He does prove a valid point, your Majesty." remarked the face of her magic mirror as Regina's father came in with a tray.

"Would you like something to drink?" Henry asked his daughter.

"Do I look like I need a drink?" she asked hotly.

"I was only trying to help." he defended gently as he handed her a glass of wine.

"Thank you." Regina replied as she calmed down. Henry then went over to the young man with a clay mug.

"Here's your coffee, Nicholas. Though I suggest you save it for later and get some rest."

"No time, I'm in the zone." Nicholas replied not taking his eyes off of his research, "Out of curiosity, how do you plan on taking away their happiness?" he asked Regina who smirked darkly.

"The dark curse." she replied.

Twenty-eight years later in a small town in Maine called Storybrooke, a young man named Nicholas was napping in his cozy little office he had in the large home he shared with his sister. He wore a black vest over a forest green button down shirt and wore dark jeans and hiking boots he had propped on his desk.

His slumber was interrupted by his cell phone ringing in his pocket. With a groan and stretch he answered his phone. "Go for Nicholas." he said groggily.

"Nicholas, Henry's run away!" a frantic woman shouted on the other end.

"What?" he asked suddenly awake.

"He never showed up for school this morning- no one's seen him all day!"

"Okay, okay. Regina, calm down." Nicholas soothed, "Everything'll be alright. Call Graham and tell him what happened and come back to the house."

"Okay, I'll be there soon." she replied no less worried. It wasn't until past midnight when Regina, who'd been staring out the window all day, spotted her son coming up the yard with a blonde woman wearing a red leather jacket.

"Henry!" Regina cried as she ran out to hug her son, "Are you okay? Where have you been? What happened?" she asked.

"I found my real mom!" Henry shouted as he ran into the house completely ignoring Graham and Nicholas.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" Regina asked trying to keep her emotions under control.

"Hi." the blonde sheepishly greeted.

"Oh, boy." muttered Nicholas knowing that Regina was already unhappy.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" she offered.

"Got anything stronger?" the blonde asked. After leading her into the den, Nicholas poured the two ladies some cider while he got himself a mug of beer. "How did he find me?" the blonde now known as Emma Swan asked.

"No idea," said Regina, "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed, I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right."

"And the father?" Nicholas asked.

"Doesn't even know. No reason to be worried about him, Mr…" Emma carried off.

"Nicholas, Regina's younger brother." he replied.

"Do we need to be worried about you, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked.

"Absolutely not." she reassured as Graham came down the stairs.

"Madam Mayor, you and your brother can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine." he informed.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Regina replied as he left, "I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know what's gotten into him lately."

"The kid's having a rough time," said Emma, "It happens."

You have to understand, ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky. You have a job, I assume?" Regina asked.

"Uh, I keep busy. Yeah."

"Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom. So I push forward. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"

"I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing." Emma replied.

"What fairytale thing?" Nicholas asked after taking a drink of his beer.

"Oh, you know, his book. How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket."

"I'm sorry, we really have no idea what you're talking about." Regina replied, she looked at her brother who just shrugged in confusion.

"You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And I should really be heading back." Emma said hopping to avoid an awkward situation.

"Of course." Nicholas nodded. After Emma had left, Nicholas and his sister went upstairs to talk with Henry only to find his door locked. "Hen-Henry, open the door!"

"Sweetie, we just want to talk." Regina reassured gently, her brother was a bit more upset.

"Henry, you know the rules: no locked doors in this house!" A minute later, Henry opened the door dressed in his pajamas and his hair messed up like he was already asleep before; not a bad trick, but Nicholas wasn't that easy to fool.

With a yawn Henry said, "What's up?"

"Oh, don't you 'what's up' us, young man." Nicholas snapped, "And none of this pretending like you were just asleep nonsense either. Especially when it's only," he then checked his watch and noticed how late it was, "Quarter 'til two. Alright, you can go back to bed. But don't expect that this the end of this discussion. Got it?"

"Yes, Uncle Nicholas." Henry mumbled before his uncle and adoptive mother got on their knees and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Don't ever do that again." he muttered as he stroked Henry's hair. The next morning, Regina went upstairs to wake up Henry for school while Nicholas made breakfast. As he was pouring himself a cup of coffee, Regina yelled from upstairs causing him to spill the hot liquid on his hand.

"Nicholas, Henry's gone!"

"Sigh, again?" he asked.

As quick as they could, the two siblings went to the Sheriff's Station and as soon as they went inside for Graham, they saw Emma behind the bars of one of the two cells. "What is she doing here? Do you know where he is?" Regina asked as she approached the cell.

"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him off at your house." Emma replied, "And in case you haven't noticed, I got a pretty good alibi."

"Well, he wasn't in his room this morning." Regina retorted.

"Did you try his friends?" Emma asked.

"He doesn't really have any friends." Nicholas replied, "He's a bit of a loner."

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer?" she asked, "If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them."

"And you know this how?" Regina asked.

"Finding people is what I do. Here's an idea. How about you let me out and I'll help you find him."

"Done." Nicholas replied before Regina had time to think.

In Henry's room, Emma browsed through his computer hoping to find something. "Smart kid. He cleared his inbox. But I'm smart too. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use…" Emma trailed as she used her little device.

"I'm a bit more old fashioned in my techniques." said Graham trying to sound cool, "Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing."

"You're on salary, I get paid for delivery." Emma replied, "Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that that I get." she said before pulling up the last website Henry went on. "There's a receipt for a pretty expensive website. He has a credit card?" she asked.

"He's ten." Regina bluntly replied.

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record. Mary Margaret Blanchard." Emma informed, "Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"

"Henry's teacher." Nicholas replied with a sour look, he didn't exactly feel like watching his older sister act like a bully to the poor woman again. When they arrived at the classroom, they saw Mary Margaret say goodbye to her students as they left the room. She was a beautiful young woman with short black hair around Nicholas's age if not a year or two younger and had a natural friendly attitude.

"Madam Mayor, Nicholas, what are you doing here?" she asked slightly nervous at the sight of Regina.

"Where's my son?" she asked hotly.

"Henry? I assumed he was home with you."

"You'd think I'd be here if he was?"

"Regina," Nicholas warned as he began to grow annoyed with her attitude.

"Did you give him your credit card so he could find her?" Regina asked as she pointed at Emma.

"I'm sorry, who're you?" Mary Margaret asked.

"I'm-I'm his-"

"She's the woman who gave him up for adoption." Regina cut off.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Nicholas asked already knowing the answer.

"No, unfortunately not." Mary Margaret replied as she searched through her purse for her credit card, "Clever boy. I never should have given him that book."

"What in the hell is this damn book I keep hearing about?" snapped Regina.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special; so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it." Mary Margaret replied.

"What he needs is a dose of reality." Regina countered, "This is a waste of time. Have a nice trip back to Boston." she said to Emma before leaving in a huff but not without knocking over some books.

"Well, that wasn't a nice thing to do." Nicholas muttered as he went over to pick up the books. "Sorry about, Mary Margaret."

"It's alright, Nicholas. I'm used to it." she replied as she helped him out, "Besides, I feel like this was partially my fault."

"How was giving Henry a book supposed to help?" Emma asked as the three of them began to walk through the hall.

"What do you think stories are for? The classics?" Mary Margaret asked, "There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Regina hasn't always been the most easy going person."

"Yeah, she seems like a real…" Emma said before she and Mary Margaret realized who they were saying this around.

Nicholas noticed this and shrugged before saying, "Hard-ass, prima-donna, uptight, bitch? Ladies, I've been dealing with that woman for almost thirty years. I know better than anyone how she can get."

"Not only that, he's like any adopted child." Mary Margaret added, "He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably ask: why would anyone give me away." As soon as she said that, the young school teacher immediately regretted it and quickly apologized.

"It's okay." Emma replied.

"Look I gave him that book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have; hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"No arguments here." Nicholas agreed as he checked his watch, "Damn! I'm late!" and with that, he ran out of the school as fast as he could. About twenty minutes later, Nicholas was on the roof of a strange little building he owned. He was working on a strange looking machine that was clearly hand made from scraps.

"Alright, it's almost ready." he muttered.

"I hope you don't plan on recreating your little 4th of July fiasco with that gadget of yours up there, Mister Mills." an older man wearing an expensive suit with a cane called from the ground.

"Oh, you kill one cat and seven squirrels with fireworks one time and suddenly you're a hazard to society." said Nicholas, "Sounds like you're still holding that over my, Mr. Gold." he yelled back in annoyance.

"On the contrary, I'm just being a good citizen and looking out for the safety of my neighbors." Gold replied flashing his gold tooth.

"Good citizen my ass!" Nicholas spat, "You're just upset 'cause one of my Roman Candles broke your window."

"I still haven't received any compensation for that window." Gold reminded, "You may be the mayor's younger brother, Nicholas, but this is still my town."

"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically, "Gee, and all this time I thought you were just wondering around town every day to show off that cane of yours and the compensation it has for you."

"And some people say that you're the genius of the town." mocked Gold.

"And other people say you're the Ebenezer Scrooge of the town even when it's not Christmas." Nicholas shot back.

"Well, as much I do enjoy these little conversations of ours, I do have places to be." Gold relented, "Have a lovely day, Mister Mills. Oh, and tell that dear nephew of yours I said hello."

"I hate that guy." Nicholas muttered before he continued to inspect his invention. It wasn't until hours later when Nicholas returned home only to see Henry in his room through his window and Regina steaming with anger in the den.

"So," Nicholas trailed as he sat in his usual leather chair and pulled out a long pipe from his coat and lit a match, "How was your day?" he asked as he began to smoke.

"She's staying." Regina growled.

"Who?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"That Emma Swan. She's staying for the week at Granny's Inn."

"Really? You don't sound too happy about that."

"That woman is here to take away my son-your nephew. How could I be happy?" Regina snapped.

"Is she, Regina? Is she?" Nicholas asked bluntly as he continued to smoke, "You're being paranoid. All she did was bring Henry home after he ran away and has been trying to make sure he's safe."

"Safe from what, Nicholas?" his sister asked hotly.

"Anything that would hurt him. But if you continue to make yourself look bad in front of her, that perspective will change to where she will want to protect him from you." he warned as he met Regina's glare with his own, "She may not have raised him, but that woman has just as much maternal instinct as you do for that boy. And if you start a battle with her, the one who gets hurt in the end will be Henry. He already thinks you're evil, try not to make it worse for yourself."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them could hear the sound of the town's old clock tower chime; for the first time since anyone could remember. "Well, what'd ya know? The clock's started ticking." Nicholas said with a devious grin while his sister continued to glare at him.


	2. The Thing You Love Most

**Alright, I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story. I'll try to get as many chapters uploaded as I can within the next three weeks, after that I start college. That being said, I'll still work on this and my other stories when I can.**

 **Now regarding Nicholas, I'll be dropping hints as to who he really is until I decide to let you guys know when. I'm not sure at what point that'll be but I can tell you it'll be before the curse is broken. It's a surprise and I want all of you to be surprised when you find out :)**

 **Hope you all enjoy this chapter and if you do either leave a review or PM me. Oh, and one other thing. If anyone has any suggestions on which girl Nicholas should have a relationship with, let me know because I'm stumped right now on who that should be. Regina and Zelena aren't options for obvious reasons. Same can be said for Emma because I'm Captain Swan all the way and Snow because I can't imagine anything other than Snowing for her. Anyone else is fine, just not those four, Granny and Cora.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

The next day, Nicholas once again made breakfast for his family with a happy grin on his face. He made Henry his favorite oatmeal with black berries, Regina a cup of coffee with cream and one sugar with cinnamon toast, and black coffee with marble rye toast for him. He then heard the sound of his nephew come down the stairs and watched him come in looking handsome in his school uniform.

"Morning, bed head." Nicholas teased, it was what he called Henry every morning when he came down to eat even when his hair was neatly combed.

"Morning." Henry replied, though it wasn't as cheerful as it used to be. As he sat down, he looked down at the bowl and looked nervous all of a sudden.

"Better eat that while it's still hot, kiddo." Nicholas suggested while munching on his toast.

"I don't like apples." Henry muttered as he scooped the oatmeal and let it drop back into the bowl.

"Sigh, it's honey oat, Henry." Nicholas replied as he held up the box, "I bought it for you because you said that you didn't like apples anymore last week. Which is odd considering that your mom and I have been feeding you apples your whole life straight from the tree outside. Then again, most people do grow tired of eating something if they eat a lot of it, so given that you've been eating them just about every other day for a little over nine years I guess you could already be growing tired of them." he mused as he became lost in thought. It was then that his sister came down from her room with Henry's book in her hands.

"The missing pages, where are they?" she asked as she held it in front of her son across the kitchen island.

Henry shrugged and said, "It's an old book, stuff's missing. What do you care?"

"I care because you think I'm some Evil Queen." Regina replied, "And that hurts me, Henry. I'm your mother."

"No, you're not." Henry sneered.

"Well, then, who is?" she asked, "That woman you brought here? I don't like what she or this book are doing to you. Thankfully both are no longer an issue."

But Henry just scoffed and left his chair leaving his uncle and mother to talk. "Both are longer an issue?" Nicholas asked, "And just how exactly do you plan on taking care of Emma Swan, sister dear?"

Regina only smirked at the question before she picked up a basket and headed outside.

"The dark curse." replied the Evil Queen causing Nicholas to spit and choke on his coffee.

"Are you sure, your Majesty?" Henry asked.

"But you said you'd never use it." the magic mirror reminded in fear.

"You made a deal when you gave away that curse." Henry added.

"You traded it away. She will not be happy to see you." Nicholas warned.

"Since when do I care about anyone else's happiness but mine?" she asked with venom in her voice, "Prepare the carriage. You're coming with me to the Forbidden Fortress."

"What?!" he asked.

Later that day, the Evil Queen and Nicholas arrived at the Forbidden Fortress and sat before a fire as Maleficent spoke with them. "How are you, dears?" she asked.

"We're doing fine." Regina replied trying to sound friendly. Nicholas just sat there uncomfortably as Maleficent took own seat as she winked at him. This sent disgusted shivers down Nicholas's spine.

"Are you? If it were me, I'd be simply tortured, watching that flake of snow so happy." Maleficent commented, "Weren't you about the same age when you were to be married before she ruined it all?" she asked, "Yes, you were."

"Yes, it was about the same age you were when that sleeping beauty got the best of you, my dear Maleficent." Regina retorted while Nicholas laughed through his nose.

"I soldiered on, as will you, hopefully."

"Enough games." Regina interrupted, "You know why we're here. I need my curse back."

"It's not yours anymore." Maleficent replied, "A deal's a deal. I gave you my sleeping curse."

"Which failed. Undone by a simple kiss." Regina reminded, "Now please, return what's mine."

"The dark curse? Really?" Maleficent asked.

"Would we be here for any other reason?" Nicholas asked dryly.

"The both of you must know that even its unholy power can bring back the one Regina loved from the dead." Maleficent reminded, "Besides, wasn't destroying one kingdom enough for you, Nicholas?"

Nicholas then crushed the glass in his hand as his anger began to show itself, "Watch it, fairy." he warned with a growl.

"You should consider a pet, Regina." Maleficent suggested as she stroked the mane of the little black unicorn at her side. "They can be quite the comfort."

"The only comfort for me is Snow White's suffering." Regina replied.

"Well, it's her wedding night. I doubt she's suffering right now." remarked Maleficent.

"Depends on how bad Prince Charming is." Nicholas thought bluntly as he pulled out his long pipe and lit it.

"I need that curse." Regina stressed, "We know you keep it hidden in the orb above your staff."

"Hidden for the good of all, old friend." she replied playfully, "Whoever created that monstrosity makes the three of us look positively…moral. Who did give it to you?"

"Where I got it is none of your concern." Regina responded as she rose from her seat. The wind began to whip and the furniture began to shake. "Hand it back!" she demanded as Nicholas stood by her side.

"Must we do this?" Maleficent asked.

"Alas, we must." Nicholas replied as he tucked away his pipe. Regina made the first move by throwing a ball of fire at Maleficent who easily deflected it. At that point, Nicholas, using tremendous strength, picked up a rack filled with weapons, gave himself a boost of momentum with a quick spin, and tossed all the razor sharp blades at Maleficent's pet.

"No!" she cried as she defended both herself and it. Taking the chance, Regina used her magic to trap the fallen fairy with an iron chandelier above her and tightened it around her with the weapons pointed within an inch of her face.

Nicholas then picked up her staff, smashed the orb and took the scroll which held the dark curse. "If you two are going to kill me, kill me." Maleficent spat.

"Why would I do that?" asked Regina, "You're my only friend."

"Don't do this." she pleaded, "This curse-there are lines even we shouldn't cross. All power comes with a price. Enacting it will take a terrible toll. It will leave an emptiness inside you-both of you. A void you will never be able to fill."

"So be it." Regina said flatly as she poofed herself and Nicholas back to their castle. It took nearly eight months to gather the necessary ingredients for the curse. On the night Regina decided to cast it, she summoned a group of the foulest creatures she knew of so they may fulfil their purpose for the curse. Both Henry and Nicholas stood at her sides as she gave her speech.

"Who among us is tired of losing? That's why I called you here, to put an end to our misery." Regina informed as her father handed her each of the ingredients which tossed into the fire before them all. "Today we claim victory and move to a new, better realm. A place where we can finally win. But first, I need something from you; a lock of hair from those with the darkest souls. You must trust me, because if you don't, there are other ways." she warned.

As soon as she said this, she used her magic to make the branches of the surrounding trees come closer and closer to her guests' necks. Needless to say, they quickly tossed pieces of their hair into the fire.

"A wise decision. All that remains is the final ingredient: a prized heart," Regina said as Henry presented her with the heart, "From my childhood steed. The glorious beast whose passing will fuel our victory. Let my wrath be unleashed."

As the heart was tossed into the fire, the curse was activated and let loose a cyclone of purple smoke from the fire pit. However, it didn't last more than a few seconds leaving everyone confused as to why it didn't work. After that, a little gnome began to laugh at Regina; her response was turning him into stone.

"Why didn't it work?" the Evil Queen asked herself.

Coming out of Granny's Dinner in Storybrooke, Emma listened to Henry as he explained to her what exactly the curse was. "So what's the deal with you, your mom and your uncle?" she asked as they walked to Henry's school.

"It's not about us. It's about their curse." Henry replied.

"Their curse?" Emma asked, "I thought it was the Evil Queen who cast the curse."

"Well, Nicholas didn't cast it exactly, but he did help her do it." Henry clarified, "Anyway, we have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one-identification. I call it Operation Cobra."

"Cobra?" asked Emma, "That has nothing to do with fairytales."

"Exactly. It's a code name to throw the queen and her brother off the trail." he explained.

"So everyone here is a fairytale character, they just don't know it?" she asked.

"That's the curse. Time's been frozen, until you got here." Henry said before noticing that Emma was about to take a bite out of an apple, "Hey! Where'd you get that?"

"Your mom." Emma answered in confusion at his outburst.

"Don't eat that!" he exclaimed as he took it and tossed it behind.

"Uh, alright, what about their pasts?"

"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone anything, and you'll see."

"So for decades, people have been walking around in a haze, not aging, with screwed-up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious." Emma deduced even though she didn't believe a word of it.

"I knew you'd get it." Henry said cheerfully, "That's why we need you. You're the only one who can stop their curse."

"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes, and right now we have the advantage. My mom and uncle don't know that. I took out the end, the part with you in it." Henry informed as he gave her the missing pages, "I know the hero never believes at first. If they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them, read them, but whatever you do, don't let them see these pages. They're dangerous. If either of them finds out who you are…it would be bad." he said as they arrived at the school.

"I gotta go, but I'll find you later and we can get started. I knew you'd believe me!" he called as he went in.

"I never said I did!" Emma argued with a grin.

"Why else would you be here?" he countered as he ran past Mary Margaret.

"It's good to see his smile back." she said kindly as she walked up to Emma.

"I didn't do anything."

"You stayed." Mary Margaret countered, "So does the mayor know you're still here?"

"Oh, she knows." Emma nodded, "What is her deal? She is not a great people person. I could understand her brother but how did she get elected and not him?"

"Nicholas isn't really into politics and she's been the mayor as long as I can remember. No one's ever been brave enough to run against her. Fact of the matter is he's the only one not intimidated by her. She inspires quite a bit of…well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book. Now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."

"I meant to ask him, but who does he think Nicholas is?" Emma asked.

"After he told me who he thought everyone else was I asked him the same question." Mary Margaret explained before taking a deep breath and exhale from her worry, "And then he told me that the Evil Queen's brother was a terrible monster capable of wiping out an entire kingdom in just a single night."

"Wow." was all Emma said while Mary Margaret just nodded, "I guess Disney forgot about him and that little detail when he made that movie." she joked causing both of them to laugh. "But seriously, Nicholas a monster? The guy's a complete 180 of his sister. He's actually friendly, and nice, and a people person."

"I know, I know. But nowadays, Henry can't even look at him without looking a little scared. He's been like the father he never had for Henry. Ever since Regina brought him here, he's helped her raise him. All because of what he read in that book."

"Who does he think you are?" Emma asked.

"Oh, it's silly." chuckled the teacher.

"I just got five minutes of silly. Lay it on me." Emma smirked.

"Snow White." she replied, "Who does think you are?"

Emma paused for a moment before telling her that she wasn't in the book.

Soon after the dark creatures left, Henry and his son consoled Regina as she stared at the extinguished fire pit. "Maybe it's for the best. The forces you're summoning are darker than we can conceive."

"Oh, now you're trying to protect me?" Regina asked hotly.

"It's what we do." he replied with love.

"I know. You're the only ones who do."

"Helping you is my life." Henry added.

"Well, then help me understand why this curse isn't working."

"If you want to know that, then you need to go back to the person who gave it to you in the first place." Nicholas provided, "Revenge is a dark and lonely road. Once you go down it there is no turning back."

"What is there for me to head back to, Nicholas?" Regina asked softly.

In Storybrooke, Nicholas walked up to his sister on the ground picking up apples next a severed branch from her tree. "The hell happened to the tree?" he asked as he smoked.

"Three guesses who." Regina bluntly replied.

"Ah. So my options are your temper, your paranoia or Emma Swan who was pissed at you and retaliated against that frame job you set her up on this morning." Nicholas listed off as he blew a puff of smoke.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch the clouds go by or you going to help me?" his sister asked harshly.

"Oh, I'd rather jam this thing and all its hot cinders up your nose after I heard that stunt you pulled with Emma at your office earlier." Nicholas retorted as he examined his pipe.

"It was for his own good. Now Henry knows what that woman really thinks of him."

"Goddammit, Regina!" he snapped gaining her attention, "This is exactly what I was talking about. You're letting your personal issues with this woman cloud your view on how you should actually be handling the situation. And in case you have your head stuck too far up your ass to not know what that is, allow me to clarify: stop making it look like you're mistreating Henry."

"How am I mistreating him?"

"Well, for one thing, you went as far as to break his little heart by tricking Emma into saying this whole fairytale thing of his is crazy right in front of him." he snapped, "Sometimes I think you forget that while you may have your hands in everything in this town, there's only one person that has your back; me. And if you pull another stunt that hurts Henry like that again, I'll go over to Team Swan in a heartbeat, sister dear. Got it?"

"Is that so?" Regina asked as she stood up.

"You may be my sister, Regina. But Henry is my nephew and a child. He's not as hardened as we are. You might want to remember that before you do something that'll break his spirit again." Nicholas warned as he stomped off.

In the Enchanted Forest, Nicholas watched his sister through the magic mirror as she placed a black rose on their father's grave after she enacted the dark curse. Tears streamed down his face over the death of his father and of what his sister had become as the smoke of the curse enveloped him.


	3. That Still Small Voice

**Alright, we're back with another chapter of The Evil Queen's Brother. This chapter has a little bit of the beginning of Snow Falls and mentions what happened in the Price of Gold. I won't be able to use all the episodes from season one, just the ones I think Nicholas can have the best part in.**

 **In this chapter, a part of his past and a big hint as to who he is will be revealed. His complete story will be revealed soon so stay tuned. And while I'm thinking about it, I still need suggestions for his pairing, so far only one person has suggested Ruby or Mulan. While I can work with those, I'd like to know if anyone else has any other preferences.**

 **A little heads up, I am willing to pair him with Belle if people want that. I could make it work and it would make things interesting between them and Gold.**

 **Well, anywho, here's the new chapter and I may have the next one done and posted by tomorrow. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

A few days after Emma and Regina's first battle, Nicholas found himself enjoying a mug of beer over at Granny's. It was late and the diner was getting ready to clean up before closing for the night. Aside from himself and the staff, Mary Margaret and Dr. Whale were sitting at a table on a date.

Personally, Nicholas wasn't entirely fond of the doctor, given his reputation for being a bit of a pervert, so naturally he wasn't happy that he was on a date with his friend. Especially when he was openly staring at Ruby's butt while Mary Margaret was talking. Needless to say, the date didn't end well and Mary Margaret ended up paying.

A few minutes later outside, Dr. Whale was strolling down Main Street without a care in the world. That is until he was suddenly pulled into an ally on his right. Surprise, surprise, it was Nicholas.

"That was a lousy thing to do, Whale." he spat as he pressed the doctor against the wall, "A gentleman," he said as he kneed him in the gut, "Always," elbowed his spine, "Pays," grabbed his hair before punching pervert doctor in the nose, "For the date!"

"It's not like I was getting anywhere with her." Whale reasoned as he tried to picked himself up and wiped the blood off his face.

"No excuses!" Nicholas countered as kicked Whale in the chin knocking him face down on the ground. He then felt around for Whale's wallet, "Don't think you're getting anywhere with me tonight just because my hands are a little down south. I don't judge, but I don't swing that way. Aha!" he said as he found the wallet, "Let's see here, you, a doctor, let a fourth grade teacher pay for a crappy date when you have…$340 in cash. Wow." he said in disappointment.

Nicholas then took the money and looked down the street to see Mary Margaret talking with Emma in her yellow bug. Taking the chance, he walked behind Mary Margaret and slipped the money in her purse without either her or Emma noticing. It was quick, but he did catch that the school teacher was offering Emma a spare room in her apartment. Regina wasn't going to like that.

But it's not like he was going to be the one to tell her. The next couple of days Nicholas kept himself preoccupied with his inventions; he even missed the whole lost John Doe event and Ashley Boyd's little act of rebellion before giving birth to her daughter. Turns out the man was a local named David Nolan and married to one of the teachers at the school.

Now, you're probably wondering what kind of inventions Nicholas has, right? Well, the list is too long for all of them to be explained. He was sort of the "Doc Brown" of Storybrooke, always spending his time when he wasn't helping around town with his inventions. Don't worry, he hadn't been looking for a DeLorean lately so he's not too much like Doc.

But besides that, three days after Mr. Nolan was found, Nicholas was taking a much needed nap in his house's den; unfortunately, he wasn't having pleasant dreams. In his dream, a young child with the same hair and eye color as his own was bound in chains wearing a filthy white tunic and sandals standing on a wooden platform in a desert before a roaring crowd.

It was then that a fat ugly middle aged man grabbed the boy's hair and presented a better look at his face for the crowd. "Yes, ladies and gentlemen, a fine specimen right here!" he shouted, "A rare breed he is in these lands. Freshly caught from the Enchanted Forest. Young, healthy and ready to serve. You won't find a better looking slave than this one. Just take a look at the hair and eye color. Brown as mud. Perfect for working out in the dirt with all the other mongrels. Let's start the bidding at ten silver pieces!"

"Fourteen!" a woman cried over the shouting.

"I hear fourteen silver pieces. Do I hear fifteen?" the slave trader asked. The boy's eyes looked soulless and filled with despair as he watched the crowd bid on him.

"Seventeen!" shouted a man.

"Seventeen!" the slave trader cried back, "Do I hear eighteen?"

"Thirty!" one man shouted causing the crowd to gasp and clear the way for him. He was an older bald man roughly in his late forties with pale skin, golden eyes and golden eyebrows dressed in violet robes. "I'll pay thirty silver pieces."

"Thirty silver pieces going one, going twice…sold to the gentleman from the east!" the slave trader happily cried as he finally let go of the boy's hair. Minutes later, he was thrown into a cage being hauled by the wagon owned by the man who purchased him. Later that day, the boy had his shackles taken off and was given a broom as his master brought him to one of his many rooms.

"You are the twenty-third slave of this house. Now get to work." he said as he left the boy to sweep the sand covered floors. As soon as he slammed the door, Nicholas awoke with a loud gasp and cold sweat.

Panting and looking around the room to catch his bearings, he saw Regina hurry over to him looking worried. "Nicholas. What's wrong?"

It took him a moment to steady his breath and compose himself before he replied, "It's nothing, sister. Nothing at all. Just a bad dream."

"Do you need anything?" she asked in concern.

"No. Thank you, but I'm fine. I just need a moment."

"Of course. But if you ever need anything, you know I'll be there for you." said Regina as she rose and placed a kiss on her brother's forehead before leaving the room. It took him a while, but Nicholas finally calmed down enough to leave the house and go into town. Although, he still looked shaken from his dream. Night had fallen and everything seemed alright and quiet, that is until a massive earthquake shook the town.

Nicholas was able to discover the source of the earthquake when he saw a group of people head over to the area where the old town mines were located. By the time he got there, both his sister and Graham arrived in their cars to control the situation and forming crowd. Oddly enough, Emma got out of the car with him; he quickly noticed the badge on her belt and realized that she was Graham's new deputy.

"Everyone, please step back." Regina said to them.

"Is that a crater?" Ruby asked Marco, the town's carpenter.

"No, there were tunnels, uh, old mines. Something must've collapsed."

"Sheriff, set up a police perimeter." Regina ordered, "Ms. Swan, this is now official town business. You're free to go." she said to the blonde.

"Well, actually, I work for the town now." Emma replied.

"She's my new deputy." Graham clarified.

"They say the mayor's always last to know." Regina said obviously displeased with this choice.

"It's in my budget." Graham defended.

"Well, it can't hurt to have an extra arm of the law now, could it?" Nicholas asked as he joined them.

"Nicholas, haven't seen you in a while." Emma noted.

"Well, I've been busy." he replied, "How about you set up a perimeter before my sister here orders you to do it in her usual rude manner?" This earned him a glare from his older sibling.

"People of Storybrooke, don't be alarmed." Regina reassured as she gave her speech to the crowd, "We've always know this area was honeycombed with old mining tunnels, but fear not. I'm going to undertake a project to make this area safe, to rehabilitate it into city use. We will bulldoze it, collapse it, pave it."

"Pave it?" Henry asked as he approached her, "What if there's something down there?"

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Nicholas asked as he went over to his family.

"What's down there?" Henry asked.

"Nothing, now step back." Regina said, "In fact, everyone, please, step back." As the crowd cleared, Nicholas picked up a piece of glass and hid it in his coat pocket.

"What was that?" Henry asked Emma.

"Henry, enough." Regina snapped as she and Nicholas took him to her car, "Listen, this is a safety issue. Wait for us in the car. Deputy, Sheriff, cordon off the area." she said to the law enforcers. However, he didn't stay there long and had his own little conversation with Emma and Archie.

Nicholas spotted this and went over to fetch him, "Henry, we told you to wait in the car." he said as he took him back to the vehicle and kept an eye on him. While he waited for his sister, Nicholas spotted her having a heated, one sided conversation with Archie. Normally he could read lips, but they were far enough away to where he couldn't make it out without his reading glasses. Though, he could tell that Regina had definitely made a threat against him.

"What was that about?" he asked with a glare as Regina got her keys out.

"Nothing." she said meeting his glare with her own, "Just clearing some things up with Dr. Hopper is all." she replied as they got in.

The next day, Nicholas was enjoying a cup of coffee with his Ruben from Granny's as he worked in the designs for his next invention. As he took a sip his phone went off showing the caller ID was Emma's.

"Go for Nicholas." he answered.

"Your sister is the devil." Emma spat over the phone.

"Tell me something I don't know." he muttered as he ran his hand through his hair, "What's she done now?"

"She made Archie tell Henry that he needed to end this whole curse nonsense or else he would have to be locked up like a crazy person if he didn't."

"Oh," Nicholas asked growing deathly quiet in anger, "Is that so? Emma, the next time you see Regina, don't be surprised if you find some scars on her face aside from the one on her lip later today."

"Worry about that later. Henry's gone down to the mines to look for proof of the curse."

"He's what?!" Nicholas shouted as he rose out of his seat, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

As he arrived he saw Emma, Archie and Archie's Dalmatian Pongo looking around the entrance of the mine as they called for Henry. "I don't think he's here." Emma said to them.

"He's here." Nicholas replied as he went over to Archie and saw a candy bar on the ground. "What ten-year-old wouldn't take candy bars as food supplies?" he asked just as the ground began to shake again.

"Henry!" Archie called out, "Henry, it's not safe!" he shouted as he went into the mine.

"Archie, Henry! Emma and Nicholas cried, but it was too late, Archie and Henry were trapped inside. Nicholas wasted no time in calling his sister, Graham, a group of contractors, and other people to help them.

"Archie's smart. He will keep the boy safe until we get to them." Marco reassured as the workers tried to remove the rubble and debris. Unfortunately, another tremor suddenly occurred.

"Stop! Stop!" Regina cried as the shaking subsided, "You're making it worse!"

"I am trying to save him!" Emma retorted, "You know why he went down there in the first place, don't you? Because you made him feel like he had something to prove."

"And why does he think he has to prove anything? Who's encouraging him?" Regina accused.

"Do not put this on me." Emma warned.

"Oh, please! Lecture me until his oxygen runs out!" she shouted.

"Enough!" Nicholas cried, "The two of you can do this sort of bickering AFTER we get Henry and Archie out of there. And if you two can't do even that, so help me I will throw both of you in that mine. Got it?!"

"What do you want me to do?" Emma asked Regina after they took in what Nicholas said.

"Help me. We need to find some way to punch through the ground." Regina suggested.

"There's a better way." Nicholas corrected, "Miners dig out tunnels that lead to the surface for air in situations such as this. If we could at least find an air shaft or an old elevator, we could send someone down and bring them up."

"Where would something like that be?" Emma asked as Nicholas noticed Pongo with Ruby.

"Ruby, let the dog go." he said to her.

"O-okay, why?" she asked as she fumbled with the leash.

"He'll be able to sniff out the air flow from the mine." He replied as he followed the dog a little way up the hill.

"This is where they must be." Emma said as Nicholas cleared off all the dirt and grass, "Quick, bring over the lift!" she called to the workers.

"No time." Nicholas said as he rolled up his sleeves and attempted to take off the cover.

"Nicholas, I don't think you're gonna be able to-"

"Gah!" he cried as he pulled off the cover with ease and tossed it away leaving everyone impressed.

"Hello, Mr. Mills." Ruby muttered as she checked out Nicholas. He didn't hear her, but Emma did and gave the waitress a baffled look.

"Alright, bring the lift and a harness belt over here!" Nicholas called out. As they came over, Emma managed to convince Regina to let her be the one to get them out, which she did in succession.

Later that day after the small family of three went home and Henry was put to bed, Regina found her brother in his usual chair in their den. And he did not look happy.

"Have a seat, sister dear." he said as he gestured to the couch next to him. Regina did so without question.

"You look like you have something you want to get off your chest." she observed.

"Indeed I do." he said softly in anger, "There I was in my office today, enjoying my lunch and working on a new invention. When suddenly, I received a phone call from Deputy Swan who had something rather interesting to say."

Regina just sat and slightly fidgeted in discomfort.

"She told me that you told Dr. Hopper to…adjust his methods regarding Henry's therapy. Shortly after we got him out of the mines, I asked him what it was you said to him exactly. And they both told me that you threatened the good doctor with ruining his life if he didn't obey you. They told me that you told him to take Henry's imagination and his belief of the curse and…what was it again? Crush it?"

Regina said nothing. She wasn't easily intimidated, but the Mills family was skilled in that field; and Nicholas had always been able to put her intimidation skills to shame. All she could do was try to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

"I warned you the other day about how your actions can hurt Henry. Now, I'm not going to go over to Team Swan. Not just yet. But I am warning you, you have two more chances. That's all I'm giving to you. If you ruin those two chances and Henry gets hurt, you will have to deal with me and all the dirt I have on you, Regina. And you don't want that."

"No. I don't." she whispered, "I can assure you, brother, I will not be so careless with my actions again."

"Good." Nicholas nodded as the fire place shined in his eyes.

"But know this," Regina informed as she gave her own glare, "Henry is my son. And I will not lose him to that woman. I will do whatever it takes to keep her away from him. And in the end, the only one who'll be hurt will be Emma Swan as she realizes she's lost and is on her way out of my town."

"We shall see." Nicholas replied as Regina stood up to leave the den, "Oh, right. I almost forgot something." he said stopping her in her tracks, "Just before we left, I heard the sound of crickets chirping down by the mines. Strange isn't it? I can't remember the last time I heard crickets here in Storybrooke. Can you, sister dear?" he asked smugly while Regina was fuming with anger as she stomped up the stairs.

"Won't be long now." Nicholas muttered to himself.


	4. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

 **Enjoy!**

A couple of days after the mine incident, Nicholas was having his usual evening stroll through town. Feeling happy, Nicholas decided to pop in Granny's for a cup of coffee and say hi to his friends. As he walked in, he saw some of the customers watching Graham hit a bull's eye on the diner's dart board.

"Nice shot, chief." Sidney complimented from his booth, "Bet ya twenty bucks you can't do that again." he dared.

Graham took another shot from Ruby and threw another dart hitting the exact same spot as the last two. "Next round's on him." he said to Ruby as Emma came from the restroom. Though she didn't seem too happy to see the sheriff.

"Emma, what can I get you?" Ruby asked.

"Nothing." she replied as she glared at Graham. As she walked past him, he took one of the darts and threw it in her direction and hit the door frame.

"What the hell?" she asked, "You could have hit me."

"I never miss." Graham defended with a slight slur in his voice, "You've been avoiding me since last night when you saw me."

"Leaving the mayor." Emma finished bluntly.

"Oh, boy." Nicholas muttered.

"And, yes, that is a euphemism. I'm not avoiding you, Graham. I just have no interest in having this conversation." she defended, "It's your life, and I really don't care."

As Emma left, Graham followed her. Nicholas waited a few moments before heading outside just to make sure his old buddy didn't do anything he would regret the next morning. What he saw next was a shocker, he saw Graham pull Emma into a kiss.

"The hell was that?!" she asked as Nicholas came over.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"Did you see that?" Graham asked looking shocked and somewhat scared.

"How much have you been drinking?" Emma asked, "That was way over the line."

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"What? You what?"

"I need to feel something."

"Graham, buddy, listen to me." Nicholas coaxed, "You're drunk and full of regret. We get that. But whatever it is you are looking to feel, I can tell you one thing. Emma's not gonna let you get it with her. Am I right?" he asked the deputy.

"Oh, hell yeah." she nodded as she walked away in a huff

"Emma, I'm sorry!" Graham called out only to be ignored.

"Come on, man. Let's get you home." Nicholas said to his friend only to be shrugged away.

"Oh, I'm fine." Graham whined, "I-I don't feel anything with Regina, Nicholas. I'm sorry, I don't. I'm just so confused and lost right now. All I want is to feel something for a change."

"Hey, look at me." Nicholas coached, "You have nothing to be sorry for. Okay? If you don't feel anything, then break things off. Your happiness counts too, ya know."

"Thank you." Graham said as he pulled Nicholas into a hug, "Thank you, Nicholas. You're a true friend."

"I've always got your back, Graham." he said as he patted him on the back, "Now go home and get some rest. And no detours. Got it?"

"Right." Graham nodded. Unfortunately, he did make a detour to Regina and kept themselves preoccupied for the night.

In the Enchanted Forest, Queen Regina looked down from the balcony and watched as her step-daughter placed flowers on her father's grave. "Goodbye, Father." Snow said as tears began to form in her eyes.

It was then that the queen with her brother at her side walked up behind her and offered their condolences. "We're so sorry, Snow." lied Regina.

"I loved him so much." Snow whispered as the tears began to fall.

Regina then pulled her into a hug and continued her act. Only Nicholas actually felt sorry for his step-niece as she sobbed in his sister's embrace. "So did I, dear. So did I. The loss I feel for my husband must be nothing compared to the loss you feel for your father. If there is anything we can do, please let us know. We may only be your mother and uncle through marriage, but we're here for you, dear. Truly and forever."

Snow White believed every word and pulled her step-mother into another hug. After they left Snow to her grief, they returned inside to the lounge. "Congratulations." said the magic mirror, "Your revenge is almost complete, my queen."

"One down. One to go." she said in triumph as Nicholas plopped at his desk with a sigh.

"She has no idea, does she?" the mirror asked.

"That I'm responsible for his passing?" Regina asked, "She sought comfort with me. Sickening." she spat, "I could have ended her miserable existence right there. Believe me it was tempting."

Nicholas just shook his head as he began to jot down more of his research notes as his sister spoke. "The kingdom's still loyal to her, however. They would turn on me if anything had happened to her. They don't know the wretchedness inside her as I do. They don't know what she did to me. We must be delicate in this next phase. Her demise must be handled with care."

"Are you going to give the task to one of your knights, then?" Nicholas asked not looking up from his notes.

"No." she replied, "I need someone adept at murder, bereft of mercy."

"Someone with no heart." the mirror summed up.

"Now you understand."

"Sounds like you need a huntsman." Nicholas suggested in a bored tone. The mirror then showed the queen a huntsman mercilessly kill two men in a nearby tavern in an instant.

"He's perfect." smiled Regina wickedly, "Bring him to me."

In Storybrooke, Emma walked into Granny's and found Nicholas sitting in the corner booth reading the paper and drinking coffee. "Hey." she greeted as she walked up to him.

"Hey."

"Did you know Graham was sleeping with your sister?" Emma asked getting to the point.

"Well, that's definitely not something a younger brother wants to hear as he enjoys his coffee." Nicholas said in disgust, "But to answer your question, I knew they were…an item, if you can call it that."

"Why didn't you tell me when you learned I'd taken the job as Graham's deputy." she asked grinning at the look on his face.

"Well, what guy wants to discuss his big sister and best friend's sex life?" Nicholas asked bluntly, "Besides, it wasn't my place to spread the word on that and I figured either Graham would tell you as soon as he felt guilty enough or whenever Regina decided to flaunt it in your face."

"Sounds about right." Emma nodded, "Though I would've preferred either of those instead of watching him climb out her window the other night."

"Trying having to hear them go at it. Before Henry came along, they would often forget I was in the house, if you catch my drift." Nicholas said bluntly.

"Yeah, I-I got it." Emma said growing disgusted as well, "By the way, have you seen Graham? Mary Margaret called earlier and told me he's been wondering around town looking sick all day."

"Nope, haven't seen him. He might be at the animal shelter, doing his rounds, or maybe waiting for Regina back at our place. I think he might be breaking it off with her soon." he informed.

"You think he might be there?"

"Maybe." Nicholas shrugged.

"As long as your sister's not there, then that's where I'll head first. You coming?"

"Can't. I got a couple of errands to run before it gets dark. Though, call me if Graham gets too out of control."

"Right. See ya later." Emma said as she left the dinner.

As night fell, both Nicholas and Regina, each holding a bouquet of flowers walked up to their family mausoleum. As they got closer, Nicholas noticed one of the doors was open and the sound of voices could be heard and the light from a flashlight could be seen.

Regina, however, managed to see who was inside; it was Graham and Emma for some reason. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked them from outside.

"What are you two doing here?" Emma asked as they came out.

"Bringing flowers to our father's grave like we do every Wednesday." Regina replied.

"Don't blame her." Graham defended, "It's my fault. I wanted to look in there."

"Why's that?" Nicholas asked, "What were you looking for?"

"Nothing." Graham replied, though it was clearly a lie, "It was, uh…nothing.

"You don't look well, dear." Regina observed, "Let's take you home." she as she tried to pull him along.

"No, I-I don't want to go home." Graham refused as he pulled away, "Not with you."

"Oh? But you'll go with her?" Regina asked.

"Hey, this is between you two. Leave me out of it." Emma said.

"She's right." Graham replied, "It's between us, and things have to change."

"And I wonder why that is all of a sudden."

"It has nothing to do with her." he defended, "You know, I've realized that I don't feel anything, Regina, and I know now it's not me. It's you."

"So you're leaving me for her." Regina accused.

"I'm leaving you for me."

"Graham, you're not thinking straight." Regina tried to reason.

"Actually, for the first time, I am. I'd rather have nothing than little for less. Nothing is better than what we have. I need to feel something, Regina, and the only way to do that is to give myself the chance."

"Graham." Regina begged.

"I'm sorry. It's over." he said looking her in the eyes.

Regina took in what just happen and directed her glare over at the blonde across from her, "I don't know what I ever did to you, Ms. Swan, to deserve this. To have you keep coming after everything I hold dear." she said on the verge of tears.

"I told you, it's not her." defended Graham.

"None of this happened until she got here." Regina argued.

"I'm sorry, but have you ever stopped to think that maybe the problem isn't with me, but with you?" Emma asked having enough of Regina's accusations.

"Excuse me?" Regina asked.

"I don't like where this is going." Nicholas thought.

"Henry came and found me. Graham kissed me. Both were miserable. Maybe, Madam Mayor, you need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask yourself why that is. How long do you think it's going to take before even Nicholas decides to leave you? Why is everyone running away from you?" Emma asked.

"Now hold on just a min-" Nicholas began to say only to stop as he watched his sister throw a punch at the deputy's jaw. "Regina!" he shouted with Graham as Emma got back up and slugged his sister in the face before pinning her against the mausoleum.

Just as she was about to punch her again, Nicholas grabbed her fist, twisted it behind her back and pulled her away while pressing his other hand against Regina to keep her in place. "Enough! Both of you!" he shouted, "Sheriff, take Deputy Swann anywhere but here. And you," he said to his sister, "You and I are going to drop these off, pay our respects to father and then you're going back to your office. Understand?!" he asked them as he let them go.

Emma huffed for a moment before walking off, "Not worth it." she spat at Regina as she and Graham left.

In the Evil Queen's bedchamber, the Huntsman laid awake in her bed covered with sweat and feeling a bitter emptiness inside. The woman who hired him to take a life, the woman sleeping next to him, ended up being the to take his life; only not giving him the freedom of death. Instead of bringing her the heart of Snow White, he brought her the heart of a stag instead because he showed the princess mercy. So the queen retaliated by taking his own heart and used him as her own personal pet.

"Psst." he heard coming from the open balcony doors, "Psst!"

Wondering what the noise was, the Huntsman climbed out of bed and went outside. He looked around and saw nothing and just as he was about to return to bed, something pulled him over the balcony and made him fall into the bushes below.

"Thank goodness you decided not to yell on the way down." Nicholas said as he approached the confused hunter. In one hand were the Huntsman's clothes and weapons, and in the other his red, glowing heart. "You may want to put these on before you catch something." he said as he tossed him his clothes.

"Wait, I-I don't understand." the Huntsman said in confusion, "Why, why are you helping me?" he asked as he got dressed.

"If there's one thing in this world I can't stand, it's any innocent creature being kept a slave against his will." Nicholas replied, "Trust me, I speak from experience. Being someone's property is a lowly feeling. I made a vow to myself that if I could help it, I would free any person who deserves freedom from their enslavement."

"Even if I do manage to escape, the queen will just find me again. And I don't think she'll be willing to keep me alive next time."

"Don't worry about, I've already made sure that she won't be able to find you any time soon. That mirror of hers is exactly the bravest of souls." Nicholas smirked before shoving the heart back into his chest, "Now get out of here while there's still time."

"Thank you." the Huntsman said happily as he made his escape.

"Regina," Nicholas said as he looked up at the balcony above, "What have you become?"

As Nicholas and his sister placed their flowers on their father's grave, Regina walked around to its side with an angry look on her face. "What are you doing?" he asked as Regina began to push it. Beneath the coffin, a hidden stair case was revealed and Regina made her way down them with Nicholas at her heels.

As she walked into the depths of her secret vault, Regina went over to her heart collection and pulled out one of the many she owned. Nicholas didn't need to ask who it belonged to, he already figured it out.

"You took it back?" he asked in horror.

"Just before the curse hit, I found our dear Huntsman in the woods and decided to re-add him to my collection." Regina replied with a grin Nicholas hadn't seen since the Enchanted Forest, "And I wasn't about to let your compassion rob me of the leverage I had over him. He failed me when I asked him to kill Snow White, so told him if he ever disobeyed me, all I had to do was squeeze."

And squeeze she did. Nicholas tried to stop his sister, but he hadn't realized she was squeezing it the whole time she was talking. So just as he was about to take it from her, it was reduced to dust. Nicholas sighed in defeat, for he knew that his friend was now dead and if Emma was still with him, he would be receiving a call from her in tears any second.

"You may have had me worried about all the dirt you had on me for a while, Nicholas." his sister admitted, "But then I remembered that while I have none one you, there was something I could use against you should you ever decided to turn against me. Your love of the people in this town and your ridiculous idea of the 'friendships' you've made with them." she said in his ear.

"Now, I may not have the hearts of all your so-called friends, but I'm still mayor of this town. And if I wanted to, I could make anyone of them disappear and no one would be none the wiser. So if you ever feel like threatening your big sister again, just remember, I run this town. And everyone in it." Regina spat as she walked past him.

"Hey, Regina," Nicholas said as she walked up the first few step.

"What?" she barked.

"You might wanna clean your lip up a little bit. You still got some blood on it thanks to Ms. Swan." he mocked dryly as she stormed off. As soon as she left, his phone went off, he didn't need to look at the caller ID, he just answered it.

"Hello?" he asked hoarsely.

"Nicholas," Emma said through her tears, "Graham-Graham's dead!" she wailed.

"I'll be over there soon, Emma." he said to his friend still lacking emotion in his voice.

After the funeral several days later, Nicholas stood alone before Graham's grave. While he had only encountered him the one time in the Enchanted Forest, he had twenty-eight years of friendship with the man in Storybrooke.

He didn't shed a single tear since he saw his sister crush his friend's heart. The last time he allowed himself to cry was when Regina killed their father in order to enact the curse. Before that was…well, when his life changed tremendously thanks to someone he thought was his friend.

As Nicholas stared at the tombstone lost in thought, he heard the soft sound of whimpering coming from a wolf sitting by his leg. It was gray and had two unique eyes, one red as blood, the other black as night. It was the Huntsman's old companion.

"Yeah," Nicholas said as he gently rubbed the wolf's head to comfort it, "I miss him too."

While Nicholas was known to be a gentle soul, he could feel a raging fire of anger in his stomach. While he loved his sister, he knew that she needed to be stopped. While he knew he wasn't the one to do it, he knew who was and as long as his Regina kept taking action the way she was, he knew it wouldn't be long before Emma Swan, the Savior, would break the curse.

All he had to do was wait and then he could set his own plans in motion.

 **Nicholas remembers?! Just what exactly are his plans for after the curse? Stay tuned and you'll find out.**


	5. Desperate Souls

**Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for in this chapter, you will finally learn the true identity of The Evil Queen's younger brother. I would very much appreciate it if you went ahead and leave reviews after you finish it, I'd like to know what you all thought of who I chose.**

 **While this episode was originally made to be Rumple's back story, I just figured since we all know it already, why not finally unveil Nicholas's?**

 **I hope you all enjoy. Oh, and one more thing before the disclaimer and story. I have a poll set up on my profile for Nicholas's pairing called Nicholas's pairing. The options are,**

 **Red/Ruby with three people wanting her from their reviews.**

 **Mulan with two people wanting her from their reviews.**

 **Belle**

 **Aurora/Sleeping Beauty**

 **Elsa**

 **Merida**

 **Female human version of Graham's wolf (bit by Ruby as a werewolf thus turning her into a human)**

 **OC**

 **Let me know who you guys want. Oh, and for the four people I mention for Mulan and Ruby (my math isn't wrong, one of them was okay with either one) if you could please cast your votes on the poll that would be great.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

A long time ago, in a desert devoid of life, a younger Nicholas with longer hair wearing old robes and sandals stumbled through the sand dunes about ready to pass out from the heat and lack of water.

He muttered to himself strange words and names, though due to his dry lips, the words couldn't be understood. As his strength left him, he collapsed and rolled down the hot sand dune falling unconscious as his hood came off.

Sometime later, a group of men riding camels came along and noticed the man's body. Each of them were dressed for the environment but it was clear that they had quite a bit of money to their name's.

"He's got brown hair." one of them observed as they surrounded his body, "Not very common in these lands. He must be from the west."

"Oh, well. I guess we should at least take the time to bury him." another man suggested as he took a shovel ready to bury the body. However, Nicholas's body twitched as he grunted in pain sending the men into shock.

"Wait, he's still alive!" one of them cried.

"Impossible!"

"Just hang on!"

"Hey, are you alright?!" they asked in concern for him, "Water! Get him some water!"

As they helped elevate him, one of the men was kind enough to cover Nicholas's head with his hat for shade as another gave him some of their water.

"Just drink it nice and slow." he coached, "Only take little sips. Can you understand us?" he asked, "We're traveling merchants from Arendelle."

But Nicholas was too weak to respond. The merchants then helped drape him over one of their spare camels so they could take him along with them across the desert.

"What were you doing out here in the desert?" one of them asked.

"…I've got nowhere else to go. No place to return to." Nicholas whispered, "I had to get as far away from there as I could. Too scared."

The merchants were confused by what he was saying and looked at each other hoping someone understood what he meant. "I'm sorry." Nicholas apologized, "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him. I'm sorry." he whispered as he began to cry, "I'm so sorry, everyone."

 **OUaT**

Two weeks after Graham's passing, Emma received a phone call from Mr. Gold for her to stop by his pawn shop. "Gold," Emma called as she entered, "You in here?" she asked before finding the man in the back of his shop and a foul odor in the air, "Oh! What is that smell?"

"Oh, this is lanolin. Used for waterproofing." Gold replied.

"It smells like livestock." shuddered Emma.

"Well, it is the reason why sheeps' wool repels water."

"It stinks. Um, if there was a reason you called the sheriff's department, if you want to talk about that quickly or outside."

"Yes." Gold nodded, "I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences really. The sheriff was a good man. You're still wearing the deputy's badge." he observed, Well, he's been gone two weeks now. And I believe that after two weeks of acting as sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real badge."

"Yeah, I guess." Emma somewhat agreed, "I'm just not in a hurry. So, um, thank you for the kind words."

"I have his things." Gold alerted as Emma was about to leave.

"What?"

"The sheriff." Gold clarified, "He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."

"I don't need anything." Emma denied.

"As you wish. I'll give them to Mayor Mills." Gold replied, "It seems like she was the closest thing he had to family."

"I'm not sure about that." Emma commented as she took a look inside the box which help Graham's belongings.

"No love lost there, I see." Gold mussed, "I'd offer you his jacket, but I called Mr. Mills this morning and offered it to him. He and the sheriff were rather close friends and despite our differences, I felt that Nicholas deserved a bit more of his friend than just memories." he informed as he pulled out a pair of walkie-talkies.

"Your boy might like these, don't you think?" he offered kindly, "You could play together."

"I don't-"

"No, please. They…they grow up so fast." Gold reasoned.

"Thanks." said Emma as she took the walkies, "You said that you and Nicholas have some differences?" she asked.

"Yes, well…let's just say, our first meeting was a bit…less than as friendly as yours." Gold replied mysteriously.

 **OUaT**

"So this is Arendelle?" Nicholas asked as he and one of the merchants he befriended walked through the streets.

"Yes indeed," he replied proud of his home, "Now, it'll be a few days for the next ship to take us to the Enchanted Forest and from then it'll be a week's journey to it's port. Why is it you wish to go there?" he asked.

"I was born there. I was captured by slave traders when I was young and I was sold to a man from the desert kingdom. Hopefully, I'll be able to find my family once I return." Nicholas replied.

"I see."

"By the way, could you point me in the direction of a tailor?" Nicholas asked, "While these are some of the kingdom's finer robes, they are still the clothes of a slave and I'd rather leave that life behind."

"Of course." his friend nodded, "Just down the road across from the fruit stand is the best tailor in the kingdom. He'll set you up good and right. Just tell him to charge the bill to me." he advised.

"Thank you." Nicholas nodded, about an hour later, he came out of the shop wearing a charcoal gray button down shirt, a dark turquoise vest with flower and vine designs on it with a matching tie and dark slacks. Draped over his arm was a forest green trench coat that he quickly put on. The only thing he left on from his previous wardrobe were his sandals.

"Well, now," his friend said looking impressed, "Don't you look dashing."

"Think so?" Nicholas asked while the merchant nodded. He then caught a glimpse of a strange looking shop across the street next to the fruit stand. An elder Asian man stood outside and tried to welcome customers in. "What's that place over there?"

"A new business set up by travelers from the east. People can get images or word imprinted on their skin permanently. I believe they call them, 'tattoos.' Personally, I wouldn't get one, but some people like the idea of them."

"Can they do custom designs?" Nicholas asked.

"I'd say so, yes."

"…I'll be right back." he informed before entering the tattoo parlor. A little while later, he came out taking careful steps and wincing as though he were in pain.

"So," his friend asked, "What'd you get?"

"I'll tell you later." Nicholas replied before glaring at him, "Why didn't you tell me getting those things hurt like hell?!"

"You didn't ask." he replied with a hearty laugh before smacking Nicholas on the back causing him to loudly hiss in pain, "Oh, got one on your back, did you?"

"Big one." Nicholas grunted.

"What did you get?"

"I'll tell you later." he said as he walked off.

 **OUaT**

After night fell on Storybrooke, Nicholas came out of a much deserved shower. As he was drying his hair off, his bare back could be seen and on it was a large, strange tattoo the covered his entire back just below his neck. It was a red crown and pair of wings floating above a red cross with a red serpent with a black outline barring its fangs draped over the cross with its tail wrapped around the lower end.

After he dressed himself and put on Graham's old jacket, Nicholas went out for his usual walk outside and heard quite the commotion coming down the road. He ran over to find his sister being pulled out of her flaming office by Emma. Which was surprising considering that his sister had fired the woman just before she could become sheriff and was now running against her candidate Sydney Glass.

"Oh! Oh! Ow! My Ankle!" Regina cried as Emma helped her, "Set me down gently!"

"Seriously?" Emma said trying to catch her breath, "You're complaining about how I saved your life?"

"The firemen are here. It's not like we were really in danger." Regina snootily remarked.

"Fine. Next time, I'll just…no, you know what?" Emma asked hotly, "Next time, I'll do the same thing, and the time after that because that is what decent human beings do. That's what good people do." she said before storming off.

"Seems like I miss all the exciting things going on nowadays." Nicholas muttered as he went over to Emma. "Hey." he said.

"Hey." she said in return, "Aren't you going to check on your sister?" she asked.

"She's gotten out of worse." Nicholas said flatly, despite his concern for Regina, he was still pissed at her, "What about you, you okay?"

"I'm fine." she said as their friends came over to check on her.

The next day the election took place and Emma revealed that Mr. Gold started the fire to help Emma's campaign by making her the hero. That evening, Emma sat with Nicholas at Granny's thinking she had lost the election.

"I can't believe Gold would go as far as setting your sister's office on fire just to help me win this thing." Emma said breaking the silence.

"Oh, trust me, he's capable of doing worse." Nicholas remarked as he took a drink of whiskey.

"Another?" Ruby asked them politely.

"Oh, hell, yes." Emma replied causing Nicholas to snicker as Henry entered the diner.

"Hey, kiddo." Nicholas greeted warmly only to see his nephew tense up and sit next his mother. Needless to say that sent a pain to his heart. "Ruby," he called softly while Henry handed Emma a walkie-talkie, "Make mine a double."

"You stood up to Mr. Gold." Henry praised Emma, "It's pretty amazing."

"Well, he did something illegal." Emma reminded.

"That's what heroes do, expose stuff like that." he said before leaving in to whisper, "I shouldn't have given up on Operation Cobra. We can't let him and the queen win." he said indicating to Nicholas who heard every word.

"I thought I might find you here," Regina said to Emma as she and Sydney walked inside, "With a drink. And my family." she added in distaste.

"Here to gloat, sister dear? Sheriff?" Nicholas asked as he took a swig of his drink.

"Well, not at all." Sydney replied, "In fact, I think I'll join you."

"Here? I don't know. I think they're setting up a back room for the victory party." Emma informed.

"Well, you'll have to tell me what that's like." said Sydney as Regina handed her the Sheriff's badge.

"Congratulations," she said dryly, "Sheriff Swan."

"Wait. What?" Henry asked.

"It was a very close vote. But people really seem to like the idea of a sheriff brave enough to stand up to Mr. Gold." Regina informed.

"Are you joking?" Emma asked.

"She doesn't joke." Nicholas whispered in her ear as all of Emma's supporters filled the diner.

"You didn't pick a great friend in Mr. Gold, Ms. Swan, but he does make a superlative enemy." Regina warned.

"Ain't that the truth." Nicholas muttered.

 **OUaT**

As the ship weighed anchor at the Enchanted Forest's port, Nicholas quickly made his way off the ship; his merchant friends stayed behind in Arendelle. But before he left, they gave him a piece of advice on how he'd be able to find his family. It was dangerous but Nicholas was a desperate soul.

After walking far enough into the woods away from any innocent bystanders, he spoke aloud, "Rumpelstiltskin. Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee."

"Indeed you have, dearie!" came an impish voice from behind him. Nicholas turned around and saw the Dark One grinning madly with his golden, leathery skin showing where his dragon skin clothes didn't cover.

"I hear you're the one to go to if someone wants to make a deal." Nicholas said keeping a close eye on the imp.

"Correct!" he replied insanely happy, "So what are we in the mood for today? Glory? Riches? An enemy you want to suddenly drop dead?" he asked in a singsong voice.

"My family's whereabouts." Nicholas replied flatly, "I was taken from them by slave traders when I was four. Now that I'm free, I want to find them."

"And what will you offer me in return should I bring you to them?" asked Rumpelstiltskin.

"Here's the deal I'm offering," Nicholas informed as the Dark One paced around him, "If I can knock you to the ground five times, you have to take me to my family. If you manage to knock me to the ground five times, I'll be your humble servant forever."

Rumpelstiltskin giggled at the proposal thinking it was foolish, "A newly freed slave wagering his freedom? Well, it's not like you have anything else to offer. Very well, dearie. But before we begin, tell me the name of one of your parents."

"My mother's name is Cora." Nicholas replied causing Rumpelstiltskin to stop smiling and look at him in utter shock.

"…We shall see." he replied before sending a blast of magic. In a blur, Nicholas managed to get behind the Dark One and kick his back causing him to tumble over and fall to the ground.

"That's one." Nicholas said coolly as the imp got up.

"You're light on your feet, dearie." Rumpelstiltskin said through his teeth as he summoned a sword, "But you're not light enough to beat me."

"Says you." Nicholas replied as red lightning sparked around him. Suddenly two hands formed from two craters at Rumpelstiltskin's sides and crushed him. More red lightning flashed and the two hands were destroyed. After they were reduced to rubble, Rumpelstiltskin collapsed to the ground for a second time.

From there, a column made from the ground sprung up underneath the Dark One and sent him into the air. Nicholas then jumped to meet his height and slammed his leg on his solar plexus and sent him to the ground for the third time.

"Wh-what is this magic?" Rumple asked feeling scared for the first time in centuries.

"It's not magic." Nicholas coolly replied as red lightning flashed around his arms. As it cleared, they were covered in black metal and his hands now had razor sharp nails for claws. He knocked the wind out of Rumple and said in his ear, "It's Alchemy."

Rumpelstiltskin then fell for the fourth time. As he laid in the dirt, in a fit of rage he used his magic to snap Nicholas's neck sending him to the ground. "Nice try, dearie." he growled, "But the Dark One is immortal."

After he said this, red lightning surrounded Nicholas's neck for a second just before he leapt to his feet. "That's definitely going to take some getting used to." he muttered while stretching his neck, "See, the thing is, Dark One," he said before smirking at him with a gleam in his eye, "So am I."

In a split second, he ran behind him, slammed his fists on his back and watched him fall for the fifth and final time.

"Who-what are you?" Rumple asked as he looked up at the young man who beat him.

"I'm an immortal Alchemist named Nicholas Flamel. Now take me to my family." he ordered.

Rumpelstiltskin said nothing. He just waved his hand and sent them both to another region hundreds of miles away. Next thing Nicholas knew, he was standing before hills and a beautiful home he hadn't seen in thirteen years. He ran as fast as his legs would take him without using his powers and went to the home.

However, he was stopped in mid-stride by a magical force. It was coming from an elder woman on his left. She wore a black gown, had ginger red hair and eyes just like his own. It was a face he remembered through all the hardships and pain he faced as a slave; it was the face of his mother.

"If it were that easy to break into my home, dear, anyone would do it." she said in a sweet yet intimidating manner; just like he remembered. His eyes were the only things he could move, as they met with Cora's, her heart (if it was still inside her) stopped. The magic was released and she looked stunned at Nicholas.

"Who are you?" she asked softly as though she were trying to recognize him.

"…Thirteen years ago…did you lose your four-year-old son one day while he was playing with your daughter?" Nicholas asked as the tears began to form in his eyes.

"…It can't be." Cora denied before she walked up to him and gently cupped his face and looked into his eyes. It took a moment, but Cora was able to see the same beautiful hazel eyes that once looked up at her filled with nothing but love. "It is you." she whispered as tears of her own formed in her eyes. She then pulled her crying child into a hug that was thirteen years past due. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

"Mother!" Nicholas sobbed in her embrace. Nicholas Flamel was finally home.

 **Yep. Nicholas Mills is actually the Immortal Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel. How do you like them cursed apples? ;)**


	6. Skin Deep

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT.**

About a week after the election, a massive storm hit Storybrooke and caused quite a bit of damage. One of the first citizens to check on their property was Henry checking on his makeshift wooden castle. As he rode his bike, he went past his birth mother as she waited for him.

"Hey, kid." she greeted.

"The storm!" Henry cried as he ran over to the broken down castle.

"It's okay. We can fix it. I'll talk to Marco." Emma reassured.

"Do you think it's still here?" he asked.

"What are you looking for?"

"My book."

"Why'd you bury it here?"

"So my mom and uncle don't find it."

"Hiding it under your mattress wasn't good enough?"

"That's the first place the Evil Queen and her brother would look."

"How about leaving it with me?"

"That's the second place." Henry replied as he opened the box which held his book. Much to his relief, it was still there. "It's still here. Good."

"So your mom and uncle don't know about the castle?" Emma asked.

"No. This is our secret." Henry sweetly said touching Emma's heart. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by Regina and her brother calling out for the boy.

"Henry!" Regina called over the wind, "We've been looking for you everywhere. You know you have a session with Archie this morning." she lectured before glaring at Emma, "I should've known he was with you."

"Henry, get in the car. Now." Nicholas said sternly.

"You let him play here?" Regina asked.

"The storm hit it hard, but we can fix it."

"Well, can you fix a cracked cranium?" Regina asked, "Because that's what you'll have on your hands if one of these boards collapses under his weight. You're not thinking about Henry or his safety, just ways around me."

"Oh, relax, Regina." Nicholas retorted, "The boy weighs what? Eighty-five pounds? Besides, ten year olds are supposed to get hurt ever now and then. Builds character, gives him some new scars to show off."

"And you say I don't think about Henry's safety?" Emma smirked at the mayor who stormed off.

"If you think it's bad having her as an enemy, trying living with the woman for as long as I have." Nicholas joked causing Emma to laugh. About a week later and after Emma and Sydney's failed attempt to ruin Regina, the little town of Storybrooke was preparing for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately for Moe French, the owner of Storybrooke's flower shop, the day prior to the holiday was not so kind to him; or rather, Mr. Gold wasn't.

Due to not paying his weekly loan, Gold confiscated his truck. While that happened, Nicholas was enjoying his morning coffee over at Granny's. As he was sipping his beverage, he noticed David and Mary Margaret smiling fondly at each other at separate tables and chatting about a book they were reading. Emma soon joined her roommate and friend.

"So, how's your day going?" she asked.

"Henry's fine." Mary Margaret replied.

"That's not what I asked you." Emma said as her friend gave her a knowing look, "You sure?"

"Well, believe it or not, he's his normal self again." Nicholas answered as he turned his stool towards the two women, "Don't worry, Emma. Regina won't keep you separated forever."

"He's right," Mary Margaret nodded, "When people are supposed to be together, they find a way."

"So he's his normal self. He's fine. He's happy?" Emma asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, yeah." they replied causing Emma to frown.

"We mean no!" Nicholas corrected immediately, "He misses you a lot." he said over a baby's crying.

"Yeah, trust me. I'm with him, like, six hours a day." Mary Margaret added.

"Six hours?" Ashely Boyd asked as she handed Granny her baby, "You take newborns? 'Cause I'd love six hours off."

"I know how that feels." Nicholas muttered with a chuckle as he drank his coffee.

"Ashley, I didn't even recognize you." said Mary Margaret.

"Oh. Baby on the outside?" Ashely asked as she joined their table.

"How's it going?" Emma asked.

"It's, uh…it's, uh…I mean, the baby's great, but, uh, we really haven't had time to do the whole getting married thing so that's been rough, and Sean's been working double shifts at the cannery.

"Well, he has to work." Nicholas reasoned.

"On Valentine's Day? Yeah. He couldn't get out of it."

"I'm sorry, that sucks." Emma sympathized.

"It doesn't have to." Ruby denied, Come out with me. Let's have a Girl's Night. We can all go. Mary Margaret, Emma, too, if you leave the badge at home."

"I'm not really in the party mood, but you guys can all go have fun. Besides," Emma grinned before slapping her hand on Nicholas's shoulder, "Nicholas'll be going with you."

After she said this, the entire diner was quiet. "Uh…why would I be going with them, Emma?" he asked slowly in confusion.

"Well, they're having a Girl's Night, it'll be a good way to meet some guys." she replied honestly with a friendly smile. The others, including David off to the side, were trying not to laugh.

"…Huh?!" Nicholas asked loudly after a long pause. It was then that Emma caught on.

"Oh!" she gasped, "Oh, wait! You-you're not…?"

"No!" he exclaimed while he blushed and the others started laughing, "W-wh-what exactly have I done to make you think that I was gay?!"

"I-I…I don't know. I thought you were trying to get a little something from Graham the night he almost hit me with a dart."

"No!" Nicholas replied as the three woman laughed so hard tears were rolling down their faces, "I was trying to help him home because he was drunk off his ass that night!" he cried, "The only Mills in this town that ever wanted to get to third base with the guy was my sister!"

The laughter had only gotten worse; it was hard to tell who was blushing with embarrassment more, Emma or Nicholas.

"So let me get this straight. You have thought that I was gay the whole time?! What the hell, Emma?!"

"I am so sorry!" she apologized, "It's just that I've never really seen you show an interest in women before."

"Oh, I can vouch for that," Ruby interjected, "Nicholas has a hard time handling girls when they flirt with them. Like me." she informed and ended with a peppy smile.

"Okay, but's only because ever since you saw my tattoo, you've been looking at me like a wolf would a piece of meat." Nicholas debated.

"You have a tattoo?" Emma asked chuckling.

"Oh, yeah." the other women replied before Nicholas could.

"Wait, how do all of you know that?" she asked,

"Sigh, because when Henry was five, I signed him up for swimming lessons over at the swimming pool. It was a hot day so everyone and their mother was there. Normally, I wear a shirt when I go swimming, but the instructor told me that they weren't allowed in the pool."

"Thank God." Ruby muttered.

"So I took it off and everyone there saw my tattoo." he explained.

"Not to mention a six pack." Ruby added.

"Broad shoulders and chiseled pecks." Ashely nodded.

"Huge biceps." Mary Margaret agreed surprising everyone that she noticed.

"Oh, great." Nicholas groaned, "Even Mary Margaret saw me as eye candy!"

"I still don't get why his tat made you flirt with him more than anyone else, Ruby." informed the sheriff.

"That's because it's mostly red and she is obsessed with red." Nicholas informed before taking another sip of his coffee, "But if you want, you can always ask Regina."

"Hell no." they all deadpanned.

 **OUaT**

On a road in the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen and her brother road in their carriage along a road. The only one on it was a young, beautiful, hooded girl with hair as brown as Flamel's and eyes as blue as the sea. As they were about to pass her, the queen stopped the carriage.

"Did our carriage splash you?" she asked politely after opening the door.

"Oh. Oh, no, I'm-I'm fine." the girl replied with a lovely smile.

"You know, we're a bit tired of riding." Regina informed, "Let us stretch our legs and walk with you for a spell."

"You carry very little." Flamel observed as he walked with his sister and the stranger; though, he was jotting down notes in his little notebook with his glasses slipping.

"I don't want to be slowed down." she replied.

"You're running from someone." Regina speculated, "The question is, master or lover?"

"Straight to the point as always, your majesty." he murmured while the stranger gave his sister a look that said it all.

"Oh, master and lover." Regina grinned.

"I might take a rest." the stranger informed clearly uncomfortable with the topic, "You two go on ahead."

"So if I'm right," Regina said as she wrapped an arm around her, "You love your employer, but you're leaving him."

"I might love him." she admitted, "Maybe as a lover or maybe just as a friend I want to help. Something evil has taken root in him."

"While magic isn't exactly my particular field of expertise, sounds a bit like a curse to me." Flamel observed as he fixed his glasses, "Though, I do hear all curses can be broken."

"A kiss born of true love would do it." Regina added, "Though, I wouldn't encourage a young girl to kiss a man who held her captive. What kind of message is that?"

"One that compares to the romantic novels of young maidens falling in love for swashbuckling privateers who stole them as they would treasure?" Flamel asked causing the beautiful stranger to softly chuckle, "Even so, if he loves you, he would've let you go. And if he doesn't love you, well, then the kiss won't even work."

"Exactly." Regina nodded.

"Well, he did let me go." the girl replied.

"Yes, but no kiss happened." Regina reminded.

"And a kiss-a kiss is enough? Even if I only wanted to save him as a friend?" she asked.

"Love is not just limited to what a couple feels, my dear." Flamel informed as he tucked away his book and looked her in the eyes, "Love is like an enormous tree with many branches. The branch of true love between lovers is but one. The true love of friendship, however, is just as powerful; and each of these branches are as sturdy as the trunk. True love's kiss, no matter what kind, will break any curse. And that is an encouraging thought, don't you agree?"

"Yes, I-I do." she replied happily, "In that case, I will go to him and find what branch we rest on. Thank you, both of you, so much." And with that, she hurried along the road back to her employer.

"I have to hand it to you, sister, this is actually an excellent plan." Flamel praised once the girl was far enough away, "If things go one way, the dark one will no longer have his powers."

"And if they go another way, he'll lose control and finally reveal that even he has a weakness." Regina wickedly smirked as they returned to the carriage.

"So devious, yet commendable." he grinned.

"Indeed. Though, I am surprised that you agreed to this plan, Nicholas." his sister admitted, "You normally oppose my schemes. If it wasn't for the imp, you probably never would've found your way home."

"Yeah, well, he broke my neck because I kicked his ass." Flamel shrugged causing Regina to laugh.

 **OUaT**

The morning after Valentine's Day, Nicholas leaned up against the kitchen counter while munching on an apple as his sister walked in with a happy smile. "Guess what Sydney's bug just told me." she said to her little brother.

"What?"

"Gold kidnapped and attacked Mr. French last night. He's sitting in a prison cell as we speak."

"Do tell." Nicholas said gaining a similar wicked grin, "Say, Regina, how's about the Mills family take a little stroll into town? Maybe pop by the sheriff's station so we can finally have that little chat with Mr. Gold?"

"Sounds like a plan. But what about Swan?" she asked.

"Make everybody but Gold happy and let her grab an ice cream with Henry?" he suggested.

"Just this once." Regina nodded. About twenty minutes later, they did just that and after Emma and Henry left the office, Nicholas and Regina sat in front of the cell which contained the crippled man.

"Well," Gold said softly in anger as he stared at the siblings, "The two of you really wanted that little chat, didn't you?" he asked.

"Apparently, this is the only way we could do it." Regina replied.

"Please. Sit." Gold hissed, Regina had no other choice but to do so, "Now when two people, or rather in this case three people, want something the others have, a deal can always be struck. Do the two of you have what I want?"

"Yes." they replied wickedly. Hearing this made Gold look absolutely shaken.

"So…you did put him up to it, then?"

"Oh, we merely suggested that strong men take what they need." Nicholas answered.

"Oh, yeah, and you two told him just exactly what to take didn't you?"

"We used to know each other so well, Mr. Gold." said Regina, "Has it really come down to this?"

"It seems it has, yeah." Gold nodded, "But both you and your brother know what I want. What is it you want?"

"Well, I want you to answer one question." Regina replied giving her answer, "And answer it simply. What's your name?"

"It's Mr. Gold." he replied with a smirk.

"Your real name." Regina clarified as her anger began to show.

"Every moment I've spent on this earth, that's been my name." Gold admitted.

But what about moments spent elsewhere?" Nicholas asked.

"…What are you asking me?" Gold whispered.

"We think you know." Regina answered, "If you want us to return what's yours, tell us your name."

Gold glared at them as he softly chuckled before giving his answer, "Rumpelstiltskin. Now give me what I want." he growled.

"Such hostility." Nicholas remarked.

"Oh, yeah." growled Rumpelstiltskin. Regina reached into her purse while Nicholas reached into his coat pocket, from these compartments were the cup and the broken off handle of an old, white, chipped tea cup.

"Now comes what I want." Nicholas informed as he watched the dark one tremble in rage at the sight of his broken possession, "I want to make a deal with you, Rumpelstiltskin."

"I've only ever made one deal with you, Flamel," Rumple said through his rage, "And it was the last one."

"Come now, don't be like that." Nicholas teased with a pout, "It's a simple arrangement. If you want this returned to you in one piece, all you have to do is owe me a favor. But this will be a special favor. I'll ask you to do something for me in the future and when I do, you will uphold these terms. One: you will give me your complete cooperation. 100%. Two: you will not try to find any way or thing at all that could benefit yourself when things are all said and done. Three: you will follow all my instructions and orders until I say that our arrangement has been honored. And four: you will not harm me or my loved ones after I release you."

"And why should I agree to any of that?" hissed the imp.

"Because unlike you with your magic, I still have my alchemy." Nicholas informed as little bolts of red lightning danced across his fingertips, "And just as I can easily repair it, I can easily destroy your little cup right here, right now. There won't even be a speck of dust left of it." he threatened, "So…do we have a deal or not?"

Gold continued to glare at the alchemist as he thought things over. He then stuck his hand through the bars, "We have a deal." he growled as they shook hands. With a quick use of his alchemy, Nicholas repaired the cup and had his sister hand it to her former teacher.

"Such a sentimental little keepsake." she mocked as Gold took it.

"Thank you, your majesty." he hissed, "So…now that we're being honest with each other, let's remember how things used to be, shall we? And don't let these bars fool you, dearies. I'm the one with the power around here. I'm gonna be out of here in no time, and nothing will change between the three of us.

"We shall see." the siblings replied darkly before leaving.

 **OUaT**

In Rumpelstiltskin's dark castle, the Evil Queen and Flamel entered the collection room of the dark one and found him sitting in a corner at a spinning wheel spinning straw into gold. "Flimsy locks." Regina commented, "I have a deal to discuss. A certain…mermaid."

"I'm not dealing today." Rumple said under his breath.

"Are you angry with us?" Flamel asked, "What is it this time?"

"Your little deception failed. Neither of you will be more powerful than me. You can keep trying, dearies, but you're never gonna beat me." Rumple growled.

"Correction," said Flamel, "I already am more powerful than you. And I already have beaten you. During our first meeting, if you recall correctly."

"Is this about that girl we met on the road?" Regina taunted causing the imp to stop his spinning, "What was her name? Margie?"

"Verna?" asked Flamel.

"…Belle." Rumple answered as he resumed his spinning.

"Right." Regina nodded feeling strange at the sight of the dark one acting soft, "Well, you can rest assured we had nothing to do with that tragedy." she said as she made herself a cup of tea while her brother started to smoke.

"What tragedy?" growled Rumple.

"You don't know?" Flamel asked, "Wow. There's a shocker right there. After she got home, he fiancé had gone missing."

"And after her stay here, her…'association' with you, no one would want her, of course. Her father shunned her, cut her off, shut her out." Regina said as she relished in the words she knew were getting under her teacher's skin.

"So she needs…a home?" he asked with hope.

"He was cruel to her." Flamel scoffed as he puffed away his smoke, "He locked her in a tower and sent in clerics to cleanse her soul with scourges and flaying. After a while, the poor girl threw herself off the tower."

"She died." Regina finished with an evil grin.

"…You're lying." Rumple whispered.

"Are we?" they asked.

"…We're done." he said as he took in what they said.

"Fine," Regina sighed, "We have other calls to make." she said as Flamel ran his finger on the dusty table.

"Hmm. The place is looking a little dusty, Rumple." he informed, "You should get a new girl."

"Looks like even the dark one is vulnerable to love." Regina grinned as she transported them back to the castle.

"It would appear so." Flamel nodded, "Tell me, what did you do with that girl, Regina?"

"Don't worry about her." was all she said before leaving her brother to his pipe.

 **OUaT**

In Storybrooke's General Hospital, Regina made her way into the secret mental ward below. As she ventured through the hall, she found the room she was looking for and looked at the patient inside; she bore a striking resemblance to Belle.


	7. Red-Handed

**Hey, folks. Just a reminder, cast your vote on my poll for the woman Nicholas is destined to be with. The link is on my profile page and its called Nicholas's Pairing. So far Ruby has the lead and Belle is just one vote behind. Now I know most of you have told me who you want via review and I'm very appreciative for the feedback, however, I have no way of knowing if you actually voted on the poll or not. So if you if you want the woman you think is best for Nicholas to win, you'll have to officially vote.**

 **Look at it this way, for those of you readers who are American much like myself, this'll be the least stressful election of the year :) Remember, polls close as soon as I finish season 1. As soon as I post "A Land Without Magic" I'll be closing it and tallying the votes.**

 **I bet a lot of you are wondering how Nicholas will play his part in this story once Cora comes to town, right? Believe me, it'll be juicy~! Also, Nicholas will have a saga of his own that I'll start right where the season 5 finale left off. I don't want to wait too long to get to his story and I want him to be able to bond with Zelena on a sibling level and what better time to do that when after she and Regina finally become close as well.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and I'll be done with this season more than likely by the end of the week; most likely before Friday.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

A few days after Gold revealed the return of his memories, Regina and Nicholas found themselves in high spirits. So much in fact, they decided to get a gift for Henry since he was still upset over the loss of his book. On the coach in Regina's office, Henry sat between his adoptive mother and uncle with a metal tin with a blue bow on top in his lap.

"Go on," Nicholas urged with a smile on his face, "Open it up."

"What's the occasion?" Henry asked.

"The occasion is that we love you." Regina said in honesty with a smile of her own. Henry opened his gift and pulled out an old video game, "Now we know you miss your book, but with this, you can do the heroics."

"You can save the princesses. You can be the hero." Nicholas added as he pulled his nephew into a hug; though, he still looked depressed.

"Henry," Regina said gently, "You have to believe me. When I tore down the playground, I did it for your safety. Please don't be upset with me. I really didn't mean to destroy your book."

"It's not just the book." Henry replied.

"Okay. Then what is it?" she asked.

"It's Emma. I want to see her." he said just before Kathryn Nolan busted through the door.

"Regina, you got a min-" she said only to stop herself as she saw Henry and Nicholas, "I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Regina gently waved off.

"Why don't we head home so you can get started on your homework, okay, kiddo?" Nicholas asked as he led Henry out of the office. The next day, Kathryn went missing after it was revealed that Mary Margaret and David were having an affair. Two days after that on Miner's Day, David was brought to the sheriff's station for questioning.

 **OUaT**

In the Enchanted Forest, Flamel wondered through the snow covered hills of the area he was in. It was just only two weeks after Snow White escaped the Huntsman and his sister's wrath. That being said, he wasn't in pursuit of the runaway princess; he has no desire to help his sister take revenge/Snow's life. Instead, he was on an expedition of his own for his research.

The region he was currently in was notorious for its monthly wolf attacks. He had studied the books on similar stories before venturing out into the wild so he had an understanding of what he was getting himself into. Plus, seeing as he was immortal, he figured he didn't have to worry about his life being on the line if his theory was correct.

Wearing a fur-lined red cloak over his winter clothing, he treaded down a steep hill where he saw two young women by a well, one wearing a red hood and the other a white one, looking in horror at a gruesome massacre.

He was just about to go over to them to ask what happened when he caught a glimpse of the woman in white; it was his step-niece Snow White. Thankfully, she didn't notice him so he quickly took the chance to use his alchemy to turn himself into the first thing that popped into his head, a black cat. Why? It was just the only option he could think of.

"Red, the wolf did this?" Snow asked in horror as Flamel walked over to them.

"They were last night's hunting party." her friend informed, "They came to our cottage just before setting out hoping Granny and I would help." she said as Flamel gave a convincing meow. Snow looked at him with fondness and picked him up so she could cuddle him.

Later that day, the three of them along with Red's granny attended the village's meeting over what was to be done with the wolf. "The one thing I know," the villager who called the meeting said over the shouting, "Is that last night was the very last massacre. You know, if I had stayed with that party for another ten minutes, I, too, would be among the dead. And when I think if I'd only doubled back, maybe I could've caught it in the act. Maybe I would've been able to slay the creature."

"You would not." denied Granny, "This creature is more powerful than you can imagine. You wouldn't have a chance. Stay inside. Hide your children. Forget your livestock." she warned.

"You've said all this before."

"But I haven't said how I know." Granny retorted, "Nearly threescore years ago, I was a child with six older brothers-big as oak trees, all of them veterans of the second ogres-war, and my father-the biggest of them all. Come one wolfstime, he decided to go out and take on the wolf. A different wolf back then, of course, but just as fearsome. They went out there to protect me. I was supposed to be asleep, but I crawled out on the roof to watch and lay down in the thatch. They had the beast surrounded, the seven of them, with spears all pointed in at it.

"And then it started. It was lunging-not at the men, at the spears, grabbing with its teeth, breaking the shafts. They stabbed it with the splintered end, but it didn't matter. It tore their throats so fast that not a one of them got a chance to scream or pray…or say goodbye. When my father died, I tumbled from the roof, and I landed in the blood in front of the wolf. I felt its breath on my face. Then it clamped its hot jaw on my arm, and I rolled away." she said as she revealed deep scars on her right forearm.

"Then it looked at me with eyes so black they weren't even there, and it walked away. You ever see a wild animal just turn its back and walk away like you don't matter?" she asked the crowd, "If this wolf is like that one, there is no defeating it. It's already won just by existing in our world. You don't kill it. You just hide."

"So your granny's kind of intense." Snow pointed out once she, Red and Flamel were back in the cottage.

"Yeah." chuckled Red, "A bit. I feel like a rat in a trap." she confessed.

"Is this trap keeping you from being with someone?" Snow asked as she stroked Flamel's fur.

"How did you know?" Red asked.

"Well, I saw some looks exchanged back there, and I hate to break it to you, but it wasn't subtle." Snow said causing Red to giggle.

"Yes. Peter. We've been friends forever, but now things are…well, changing."

"That must be nice."

"Do you have someone?" Red asked.

"Oh, no. Uh, I'm not sure that's in my future." Snow replied, "You're lucky, Red."

"I know." she nodded before leaning in to whisper, "And we're talking about going away together. But I don't even get any time with him. Granny's too afraid of the wolf to let me out alone. You saw what the wolf did. Sometimes I wonder if she's right."

"Oh, she's right about the wolf," Snow agreed, "But she's wrong to use it to keep you from love."

"That all depends on if my theory is correct or not." Flamel thought, "From what these people have said, it may not be the type of wolf most are accustomed to."

"You think that's what she's doing?" Red asked slightly hurt; Snow didn't know how to respond. "Let's kill the wolf." she declared.

"Hang on."

"We'd be heroes."

"Red, teams of trained hunters have been killed." Snow argued.

"But they go at night when it's got the advantage." Red reminded, "If we go now, we could find it slumbering in its den and kill it in its sleep. Come on."

"Red, I don't know."

"I'm going, with or without you." she informed, "But you're right. I can't let her keep me trapped forever."

As Red grabbed her hood and snuck out, Snow followed in pursuit leaving Flamel in his cat form on the bed. Roughly five minutes later, Granny kicked the door open and shot him with her crossbow.

"I know that didn't kill you, whatever you are." she said as she glared at the cat, "So why don't you just come out and show me what you really look like. I can smell the evil coming off of you."

"What you call 'evil' others, if there were others who knew of what truly happened, would call it an unfortunate accident." Flamel said just before taking on his true appearance and yanking out the bolt from his chest.

"You're him, aren't you?" Granny asked as she reloaded her weapon, "The queen's brother. I've heard stories about how you have even unholier magic than she does."

"It's not magic." Flamel denied, "It's the science of alchemy."

"Like I give a damn what it's called." Granny snapped, "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to study that wolf that's been causing trouble for this area." he replied, "Looks like my theory on it being a were-wolf was spot on. Little did I know that it would have such a pretty face when not in the moonlight."

"How do you know that?"

"You're not the only one with a keen sense of smell. Despite it being faint, your granddaughter reeked of blood when I met her." Flamel informed as he tapped his nose, "Though I wouldn't expect any less from another were-wolf, albeit an elderly one."

"I swear to the Gods, if you put one hand on my granddaughter-"

"You can relax, ma'am. I'm not going to harm her." Flamel soothed, "I only planned on experimenting on the wolf if the person was aware of their condition and enjoyed tearing out the throats of innocent people. That being said, it's dark out, so Red may just wind up doing just that."

"Agreed." Granny nodded as she lowered her weapon and put on her cloak, "We best go and find her, then."

"Yeah. Last thing either of us want is to see her make a meal out of Snow." Flamel said before wincing as he realized his slip up.

"Snow?" Granny asked, "Snow White?"

"…Well, seeing as my sister has her wanted dead or alive right now, you can't really blame the poor girl for using an alias." he defended.

"…Yeah, I'll give her that." Granny bluntly shrugged as they left the cottage. It wasn't ten minutes later that they found Snow who was trying to look for Red as well; although, she wasn't aware of the fact that she was the wolf and not her boyfriend Peter like they suspected.

"Snow!" Flamel called out softly. At the sight of her step-uncle, Snow's face filled with fear just before she tried to run away, "Snow, wait!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her arm before they both fell into her namesake. "Snow-Snow, listen to me!" Flamel pleaded as she tried to get away and slapped at him, "I'm not here to capture you!"

"Why should I trust you?!" she cried as tears formed in her eyes, "You did nothing to stop Regina from killing my father. Why should I believe that you aren't going to take me back to her?!"

"Because I don't want to see you dead!" cried Flamel causing the runaway princess to stop her struggling, "Snow, I admit, I did nothing to prevent your father's murder and for that, I am sorry. But I do not want to see you die because of my sister's blinding hatred and needless desire for vengeance. I did not come here to take you back. I came here to study the wolf; and both Granny and I know for a fact that Peter is not the wolf; Red is."

"…She is?" Snow asked as Flamel helped her up, "You knew?" she asked Granny.

"Of course I knew." Granny said as they continued to trudge through the snow, "Her mother was one, too, before a hunting party killed her. I thought maybe Red didn't get it, but when she was 13, it started."

"Some teenagers get pimples, some deal with body odder, but Red was lucky enough to get excessive hair growth and cravings like no other." Flamel bluntly joked.

"I paid a wizard for that cloak." Granny continued to explain, "Keeps her from turning, but she doesn't wear it, and she's found some way out of the house."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Snow asked.

"I didn't want her to have that burden. It's a terrible burden."

"That story you told," Snow remembered as she pieced the puzzle together.

"That was her grandfather. He marked me that night, then came back, found me, and turned me."

"Turned you?" Snow asked, "You're…Granny? How are you tracking her?"

"By smell." she replied, "I still have that, even though the rest of it has faded away. Gods, I was a fool to think I could keep this from her. I am a fool and I have cost so many lives."

"But you didn't mean to." Snow defended, "That's the main thing."

"Is it?" Granny asked as they all heard the sound of a wolf's howl. Granny then pulled out her crossbow, ready to use it. "A silver-tipped arrow will drop her." she said as she hardened her heart.

"Oh," Snow whimpered.

"Shh." shushed Flamel, "Stay quiet. We're approaching from downwind, so we have a chance. Best hurry though, that hunting party may be on her tail as well. Uh, no pun intended." he clarified as he saw Snow's look.

They then came across the sight of Red as a wolf feasting on the remains of Peter; the sounding of his entrails and organs squishing between her fangs could easily be heard. Unfortunately, Snow gave them away as she stepped on a twig and gasped. Just before Red could pounce, Granny fired her arrow and Flamel tossed the cloak over her.

"It's too late." Snow said as she looked at Peter's remains, "He's gone."

"Who's gone?" Red asked as she struggled to get to her feet.

"Get up, girl." Granny advised, "Get ready to run."

"What's going on? Who is this?" she asked in a daze as she looked at Flamel.

"They are coming." he warned as the hunting party could be heard.

"Come on, Red." Snow pleaded, "We have to go."

"Go?" Red asked, "I don't understand."

"No, I'll explain it later. We must hurry." stressed Snow.

"What? I'm confused. What's happened?" she asked before finally noticing the sight behind her, "Where's Peter?"

"…He wasn't the wolf." Snow said sadly.

"Granny?" Red asked as guilt and fear began to consume her.

"I was wrong to keep it from you." the old woman admitted, "But now you have to go. Red. Go."

"It's me?" she asked as he lips trembled, "Oh, gods, it's-it's me."

"Red, you must get away from here." Flamel urged as he took her face in his hands so to keep her eyes off of the gruesome sight, "They will kill you otherwise. Now go! Snow!"

"I'll get her out of here. Red, come on!" Snow said as she pulled her sobbing friend away and into the woods.

"They want a monster?" Flamel asked as he began to transform, "I'll give them one."

As Snow led Red away, she caught a glimpse through the tree branches of a terrifying, giant beast kill the men giving them time.

 **OUaT**

Two days following David's questioning, Nicholas walked into Granny's Diner craving a nice cup of coffee. He had heard a rumor about Ruby quitting after a fight with her grandmother, but it seemed they were wrong when he saw her happily working the register. Although, she wasn't wearing her usual skimpy clothes or jewelry or even the over amount of make-up. Instead, she wore black leather pants, boots, and a red plaid shirt over a white tank-top. Along with that, she only had on one wolf ring, a simple necklace and only one red hair extension; the most make-up she had on was just an average amount of what most women usually have on.

In blatant terms, she finally dressed herself like a grown woman her age and not a rebellious teenager. "Hey, Nicholas." she kindly greeted, there wasn't even the faintest sound of flirt in her voice.

"Hey," he said back while surprised at her appearance, "I heard you quit."

"Y-yeah." Ruby admitted looking embarrassed, "I did. But then I realized what I wanted to do with my life. Turns out, it's not dressing like a tramp and flirting with every guy I see."

"Oh, come on," Nicholas said gently, "You didn't dress like a tramp. Yeah, you sure as hell were a flirt," he chuckled causing Ruby to do the same, "But definitely not a tramp."

"Thanks." she chuckled.

"Although,"

"Although?"

"…I have to admit; this is a better look for you." said Nicholas sweetly.

"Really?" Ruby asked feeling flattered.

"Yeah. It's just that your last one didn't seem like it matched your real personality. Well, at least that's what I thought, anyways. Not that there was anything wrong with it, I just think that a person's clothes should also their personality."

"And what's mine?" Ruby asked with a smile.

"Well, that's easy." he replied honestly, "You're a caring, kind person who wants to make everyone she sees smile when she thinks that their day could use a little ray of sunshine."

"Wow. That's really sweet, Nicholas. Thanks." she said with warmth.

"I call them as I see them." he replied as she got him his coffee. Later that day, Nicholas found out that Ruby found a human heart while she briefly worked with Emma. To make matters worse, it was found in a box that had Mary Margaret's finger prints on it.


	8. The Stable Boy

**Alright, everyone, this here is the longest chapter yet for this story. Like the last one, it'll mostly take place in the past. But, I did a pretty good job with the interaction between Nicholas and Cora for this one. Won't be long til you guys see what I have in store for him when she comes to Stroybrooke~**

 **Oh, and we're almost finished with season 1! I can hardly wait to get started with season 2!**

 **Well, anywho, here's this chapter and as always I hope you enjoy it! Please review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

Many years ago in the Enchanted Forest, a beautiful young girl of 23 years rode her horse bareback through a rigorous hurdle course. She jumped every hurdle with ease and had the happiest smile on her face. After completing the course, she hopped off her steed and went over to hug her proud and loving father.

"That was beautiful, sweetheart." he praised.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Regina!" a voice called from over the hill, it came from a nineteen-year-old Flamel with an excited look on his as he ran over to his beloved sister, "Regina. Father. Both of you have to see this." he said as he caught his breath.

"What is it, Nicholas?" his sister asked.

"First, a question of my own." he replied causing her to playfully roll her eyes as though she had gone through this before, "What is it exactly that allows fire to be created?"

"Rubbing two sticks together or striking two flints together." she replied with a grin.

"Yes, but what causes these everyday objects to do such a thing?" Flamel asked in excitement, "Friction."

"The-what-now?" Regina asked.

"Friction." her brother repeated, "See everything in this world is made up of tiny little things so small you can't even see them without the proper equipment. These things are called molecules and they are constantly vibrating. Now if molecules vibrate at a slow pace, whatever they make up will be cold. But if they vibrate at fast speeds, they'll generate heat and in cases like with using flint rocks, they'll create sparks."

"So…" she trailed.

"So I have discovered a way to where I can use this friction and accelerate it tremendously with my alchemy." Flamel said as he shook his sister all the while their father laughing at his children's antics.

"And how have you done that, my boy?" Henry asked.

"With these." Flamel said as he pulled out a pair of grayish gloves.

"Gloves?" Regina asked.

"Not just any gloves, no, no." Flamel corrected, "These are specially made gloves that when pressed together hard enough and moved fast enough, they will create a spark. Thus, when using my alchemy, I can generate these sparks into a fiery inferno. Watch." he said as he put on one of the gloves.

He then readied his hand like he was going to snap his fingers and aimed it up towards the sky. And with a quick snap and slight surge of red alchemic lightning, Flamel sent a blast of flames from his fingertips.

Now most people would be afraid of such power, but Regina and Henry immediately congratulated Flamel and showed him nothing but love. "That was amazing, Nicholas." Regina praised as she hugged her younger sibling.

"Well, it's not as impressive or beautiful as your skills with a horse, sister dear." Flamel chuckled bashfully.

"Beautiful?" scoffed Cora as she came down the hill with the stable boy Daniel, "I'd hardly call that beautiful."

"You didn't like it, Mother?" Regina asked slightly hurt.

"You ride like a man. A lady should be graceful." Cora answered, "You should use a saddle."

"I was just having fun." she chuckled.

"You're getting a little old for fun." Cora lectured, "Who's going to want to marry you when you behave like a commoner?"

"Not everyone wants a delicate flower as a bride, Mother." Flamel defended.

"Neither does anyone want someone who spends their time playing all day or shutting their noses in books or making _gloves_." Cora retorted.

"Touché." admitted Flamel with a faint smirk.

"Honey, please leave them alone." Henry pleaded.

"Stop coddling them." Cora snapped, "Regina's becoming and old maid. All the other girls her age are already married. I had such high hopes." she sighed, "And Nicholas-"

"Will not have any more of his life be decided by others rather than himself because he had enough of that for thirteen years of his life." Flamel cut off hotly as he met his mother's gaze with his own.

"Milady," Daniel said to Regina breaking the silence and tension, "Perhaps this saddle-"

"I'm done riding for the day." Regina cut off as she brought her horse to him, "And don't ever interrupt me and my mother again." she warned as Daniel took the steed away, "Why do you always have to criticize us? Me most of all?" she asked Cora.

"I'm not criticizing either of you." Cora gently defended, "I'm helping you."

But Regina didn't want to hear her mother's excuses, so she stormed off. "Uh, Regina?" Flamel asked nervously as he anticipated what was about to happen.

"Don't you walk away from me." Cora said sternly as she used her magic to hoist Regina into the air.

"Mother!" Regina cried as Cora pulled her back, "You know I don't like it when you use magic."

"And I don't like insolence." Cora chuckled, "Besides, you don't seem to mind it when Nicholas uses his."

Hearing this, Flamel groaned, "Mother, for the ten-thousandth time. Alchemy. Is. Not. Magic." he stressed, but his mother simply scoffed and ignored his whining.

"I'll stop using magic when you start being an obedient daughter." she said only to see her daughter scoff.

"Why can't I just be myself?" Regina asked still floating in the air.

"Oh, because you can be so much more if you'd just let me help you."

"I don't care about status." Regina stressed, "I just want to be-"

But Cora cut her off as she lifted her daughter higher into the air. "Cora, please." Henry begged as the belts from the horse reins Regina held wrapped around her.

"Mother!" Flamel shouted.

"Please," Regina whispered, "I'll be good."

Cora smirked as she removed the belts and gently set Regina back to the ground. "Excellent." she said, "That's all I wanted to hear." But Regina felt heartbroken, as tears began to form, she ran as fast as she could to the stables.

Later that day, Flamel was outside practicing his fighting skills; in his mind, he always believed that if one was to train the mind, one must also train the body as well. As he did this, the sound of a young girl screaming could be heard throughout the plains.

Flamel grabbed his coat and put it on as he saw a young girl dressed in pink hold on for dear life as her horse raced out of control. A moment later, he saw his sister on her own horse chase after her to try and help. Deciding to step in, Flamel began to run over to them as he used his alchemy to create a fence made out of the earth around the girl's horse with his sister on the outside so to keep it from swerving away.

Once Regina grabbed the girl Flamel finally put an end to the fence with a wall causing the horse to stop and settle down. "What was that?" the girl asked in amazement as she looked at the fence and wall.

"You can thank my brother for that." Regina replied as Flamel finally caught up with them.

"Everyone alright?" he asked as the girl fell to the ground.

"It's okay, dear, you're safe." Regina soothed the girl. She seemed about ten years old and had a cute albeit chubby cheeked face.

"You saved my life." she exhaled as she looked at the siblings.

"Are you alright?" Regina asked in concern.

"Yes. But I'll never ride again." the girl replied.

"Nonsense." chuckled Regina, "The only way to overcome fear is to face it, to get back on that horse as soon as possible. Trust me, you don't want to be like my brother here and become afraid of riding." she giggled.

"I heard that." Flamel spat as the girls giggled, "And I'm not afraid of riding, sister dear. It's just that animals do not like me, remember?"

"They don't?" the girl asked just before Regina's horse hocked a loogey and spat it on the side of Flamel's head. The girls covered their mouths as they tried not to laugh.

"Yep." he growled as he slowly and stiffly brought his hand to his head to get it off, "As you can clearly see, animals do not like me." he said before grabbing the horse's reins and looked it in the eye, "Now I don't know if you can understand me, but I'll have you know that horse meat is very nutritious and not at all fatty. So if I was you…I would never do that again. Any questions?" Flamel asked hotly as he hissed each word.

The horse shook its head with a snort as though it was trying to say no. "Good." Flamel growled, "Well, I better get rid of that fence. Mother hates it when I mess up the landscape." he said as he used his alchemy to destroy that which he created.

"How did you do that?" the girl asked in wonder.

"I'm an alchemist, child." Flamel replied with pride, "And a pretty good one at that."

"Thank you for saving me." she said.

"Regina." his sister introduced.

"Nicholas Flamel." he nodded.

"I'm Snow. Snow White." she replied before hugging Regina with thanks.

 **OUaT**

Out in the woods of Storybrooke, Nicholas kept looking up and down from the map in his hands, at his feet was Graham's wolf sniffing the ground trying to pick up a scent. It was late at night so everything was quiet. "Okay…we should be just a few miles out from our destination. If all goes well, we should be back in time."

He and the wolf then pressed on using only the moonlight as their means of seeing what lied ahead.

 **OUaT**

Inside his room in his parents' castle, Flamel awoke with a cold sweat and loud gasp from the horrible memories he dreamed of. Just then, his mother barged in using her magic to open the doors. "Nicholas,"

"Yes, Mother?" he asked as his voice shook. Cora noticed this and went over to him in concern.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked, but Flamel just kept his head in his shaking hands, "Look at your mother when she's speaking to you, young man." she lectured, "Did you have another nightmare?"

"I'd gladly have a nightmare over those horrible memories." he whispered, "It's been two years already. When will they end, Mother?" he asked as his past pains shook him.

"In time." Cora replied with a loving smile only a mother could provide, "They'll fade away in time, my child."

"I hope so. I'm tired of seeing his wicked smirk every time I shut my eyes. That night will haunt for as long as I live." Flamel bitterly spat.

"Shh." Cora soothed before kissing his temple, "Come with me to fetch your sister, we have a guest this evening and I want the whole family to greet him."

"Alrighty then." he replied as he grabbed his coat. Once they found Regina, she was once again dressed in her ridding clothes; Cora, however, was quick to change that.

"No, this won't do." she said as she used her magic to change Regina's clothes into a beautiful blue dress and her hair undone into curls.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked in confusion.

"We have a guest." Cora informed as she fussed over her daughter, "He'll be here any moment."

"I can't. I have a riding lesson with Daniel." Regina argued.

"Well, that's been canceled." Cora informed, "Now smile. We don't want to disappoint him."

"Do you have any idea who she's talking about?" Regina muttered to Flamel.

"Not a clue." he mumbled back.

"The king, dears." Cora informed having heard their muttering.

"Oh, hooray, royalty," Flamel said dryly with sarcasm, "My favorite class of people."

"Why is the king coming?" Regina asked.

"Because you've finally done something right." Cora said bluntly, "That little girl you saved is the king's daughter."

"I got a bad feeling about this." Flamel bluntly thought as Henry brought in King Leopold.

"Is that her?" he asked staring at Regina.

"Yes." Henry nodded, "Regina, honey, this is Snow White's father."

Regina bowed to him, but Leopold immediately stopped her, "No. It is I who should bow to you. You saved my daughter's life. There is no way to repay that debt. It is an honor to meet you." he said with a deep bow.

"Regina, dear, the king's honored to meet you. Say something." Cora urged.

"Oh. The honor is mine." Regina replied.

"You're quite lucky to have a mother who looks out for you." Leopold complimented, "My dear Snow has many things, but a mother is not one of them. We lost her years ago."

"Oh, no, wait." Flamel thought as he listened to the king and eyed the case his servant had behind him, "This guy can't be serious!"

"I'm so sorry." said Regina.

"Since then I have scoured the land looking for a wife. I've yet to find a woman with an interest in my daughter…until now." the king said as he pulled out a ring. Regina looked beyond confused and scared. "Will you marry me, Regina?" he asked.

"Yes." Cora answered when Regina said nothing, "Yes."

"Wait a minute." Flamel thought as everything played out in his head, "A widower king with more power than any comes near this land. He has his ten-year-old daughter ride a horse of her own, something frightens the horse causing it to scamper off and run near our land where Regina loves to ride…Mother, you conniving witch!" he realized as he glared at his smirking parent.

The following day, Flamel thought it'd be a good idea to keep an eye on both his mother and Snow White. Why the girl too? The previous night, Regina came him and told her brother of her plans to run away with Daniel, her secret love. Unfortunately, Snow had discovered them kissing after Daniel properly proposed to Regina.

Thankfully, she managed to convince the girl that he was her true love and that she needed to keep it a secret from everyone; especially Cora. Now you might be wondering how Flamel was able to do this, right?

Well, one of his many unusual alchemic abilities was him being able to control his shadow at will. But this wasn't an ordinary shadow, it looked like curves and waves of darkness with red eyes and mouths filled with razor sharp fangs; it could even cut through just about anything like it was a blade and could spread out to far distances where Flamel could see and hear everything his bizarre shadows could.

Thankfully, both Snow and Cora were in the same room as the preparations for the wedding went underway. "Careful, sweetheart." Cora gently warned Snow as she fiddled with a flower vase, "A flower is a delicate thing. Be gentle. You want it to grow and not pluck it before its time."

"Sorry." Snow apologized.

"It's alright." Cora warmly chuckled, "You needn't fear me. I'm only trying to help. Perhaps you could be the flower girl at the wedding. I can already see how close you, Regina and Nicholas have become. She's going to make a fine mother for you and he a fine uncle."

"Please, Mother," Flamel scoffed as his shadow's eyes watched them from a corner in the ceiling, "We're old enough to be that girl's siblings."

"They are kind to me." Snow nodded.

"Indeed." Cora chuckled, "It warms my heart how you three share everything…already. Perhaps you could share something with me." she offered, "Why have they pulled away from me?"

"We never pulled away." Flamel thought sadly, "You just push too hard sometimes."

What do you mean?" asked Snow.

"A mother knows her children. Regina and Nicholas have pulled away. I love them so much, but Regina won't let me help her, and I fear that Nicholas may be too broken that no matter what I do…he won't ever be the same as he once was."

"Broken?" Snow asked in concern.

"Oh, that is low, Mother." he thought dryly, "Using my past to get information out of this girl."

"Nicholas used to be a slave, dear. He was taken from us when he was very young and only just returned to us two years ago."

"A slave?" Snow whispered in shock.

"For thirteen years." Cora nodded, "I know they're unhappy."

"I'm happier now than when I was a slave!" he bluntly shouted in his head.

"Have either of them said anything?" she asked, "I'd do anything to make them happy."

"…You'd do anything?" Snow asked.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Flamel cried as the shadow's eyes widened, "Don't fall for it, Snow!"

"Of course, dear. You know, I've talked to the king about your mother. He told me how much she loved you. Losing her must've been so hard."

"It was."

"Hearing him, I realized he might as well have been talking about me and my own children. I already lost one of them once, I couldn't stand to lose both of them. If only I could show them how I feel, that no matter what, all I want is their happiness."

"…Oh, you are the lowest of the low." Flamel spat.

"Then don't make Regina get married." Snow pleaded falling for the bait Cora clearly set up.

"…Damn."

"I'm sorry?" Cora asked.

"She doesn't love my father. She loves someone else. She made me promise not to tell. But she'll lose you. She can't lose her mother. No one should." Snow said thinking it was the right thing to do.

"…Those two are screwed." Flamel bluntly thought.

"Oh, sweet Snow, it's alright." Cora soothed, "She won't lose me. Neither of them will. You can tell me. You must tell me."

 **OUaT**

Nicholas and the wolf eventually reached their destination, it was an old house in the woods. Nicholas had the wolf stay outside to keep watch while he went inside. He knew that this whole murder was a set up by his sister and he had had enough of her personal vendetta.

What he also knew was that Regina had Sydney kidnap her and kept her prisoner in the very house he was sneaking into. All he had to do was get her out and back into town by morning and everything Regina planned on would come crashing down and he'd have Emma one step further into breaking the curse.

He was as quiet as a ninja, he found Sydney sleeping in a Lazy-boy chair with the T.V. still on and a couple of empty beer bottles on the nightstand next to him. The stairs leading down to the basement where Kathryn was held was just behind him.

Thankfully, Nicholas used his alchemy to change his appearance before sneaking in; the form he chose was Kathryn so that she would be confused enough to keep quiet as he got her out; who better to trust during an escape than yourself, right?

As Nicholas slowly crept down the stairs, he saw the poor woman and former princess chained to a bed in the corner. She was pale and her eyes were red and puffy, no doubt from crying in fear every day, but at least she didn't have and injuries.

He then turned his finger into a key for the cuffs and gently picked her up, surprisingly she didn't make a sound or wake up; Sydney probably drugged her to keep her quiet so to help his guilty conscience.

Just as he was about to make it out the door, one of Kathryn's limp arms knocked over a lamp causing Sydney to wake up. As soon as he saw Kathryn carrying herself out, Nicholas gave a loud, sharp whistle to alert the wolf. A second later, the wolf pounced through the window and began to attack Sydney. Not badly, at least, she just grabbed onto his sleeve and began to scare him.

Worked pretty well, too. Sydney was so scared that he fell down the stairs and hit his head rendering him unconscious. "Good girl." Nicholas praised before getting out and into the woods as quick as he could.

 **OUaT**

As soon as Snow left Cora, Flamel watched her poof away in a cloud of purple smoke; needless to say, he knew he had to hurry and stop her. He ran out of his room and through the castle as quick as he could. He looked everywhere for his sister to warn her, but she wasn't to be found anywhere inside.

Flamel then thought that the only other place she could be was outside in the stables; he couldn't risk using his super-speed due to his inability to properly control it, so he had no other choice but to run the normal way. Night had fallen, and dread filled Flamel's very being with each step he took closer to the stables. All the doors and windows were shut; Flamel knew he was too late. He knew that his mother was there with Regina and Daniel.

The sound of his sister's heartbroken screams and wails which filled the air told him that as well. He stopped running for a moment, for he knew that Cora had killed Daniel; and she made Regina watch.

"Your coldness and cruelty knows no depths or bounds, Mother." Flamel said as Cora appeared beside him.

"Coldness?" she asked thinking it was a joke, "Cruelty? I just ensured your sister a long, happy and prosperous life, Nicholas."

"You just killed the man she loved right before her." he said flatly.

"And in doing so I have cleared the way for her to be queen. And you, her brother, shall be a lord. Lord Nicholas Flamel. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Cora asked.

"I think you're drunk on your own power and blind to what's in front of you." Flamel retorted as he faced his mother, "Mother, you know that Regina wanted nothing but Daniel. That's all she wanted. And you know I'd rather go back to that death ridden desert than become a royal."

"Oh, please." scoffed Cora, "You and I both know that you'd rather die than go back there. And that's not going to happen anytime soon, correct? Nicholas, you can't honestly say that when you were a slave, you didn't want to switch places with those nobles and that king you severed for thirteen years."

"Yes, I can!" he spat, "What I wanted more than anything was to come home. I have never wished slavery upon anyone in my life! I'm not bitter and vengeful like you, Mother. Can't you see what you've done?! You've destroyed Regina!"

"Enough!" Cora shouted, "All I have ever done for your sister is raise her to have a better life than I had. I was going to do that for you as well…but fate, it seems, decided to give you an even worse life than I had. And for that, I am sorry." she said as she cupped his hardened face, "But now Regina is set for life and you along with her."

"…You have sealed the fate of this entire realm, Mother." Flamel said as his voice shook.

"What?" she asked, "Come now, Nicholas. Stop pretending like you know the future."

"Oh, I may not be able to see the future. But I know exactly what happens to a person whose soul has been crushed. When Regina finds out that Snow told you her secret, yes, I know you planned on doing just that. You will have finally pushed Regina over the edge." he warned as he raised a finger in her face, "You will have finally created your legacy. A legacy more vicious and ruthless than you ever were. And all will suffer. She will unleash horrors you never even dared to. But you won't be able to witness this. Because the first person Regina will rid herself of…is the person who set her on this path. You."

"Hmm, I'm looking forward to it." Cora smirked before poofing away.

 **OUaT**

Everything had gone according to Nicholas's plan. He was able to wake up Kathryn with a small dose of adrenaline and was able to get away before anyone could spot him. Before he left and woke her up, however, he gently left her behind the diner and knocked on the back door to get someone's attention before giving Kathryn the adrenaline.

To make matters even better, as soon as Ruby spotted Kathryn, Emma came running over and saw that the woman was alive and well after all.

Nicholas was able to bring her back and in doing so, Mary Margaret was cleared of all charges. Ooh, was his sister going to be pissed~! But that's exactly why he was smiling. He'd beaten his big sister at her own game.

And she didn't even know it!

 **What?! It was Nicholas who freed Kathryn?! Bet none of you saw that coming ;)**

 **Here's something else I want to mention, Nicholas's abilities. Anybody think they sound a bit familiar? Gloves that can create fiery blasts just by snapping ring any bells? I'm surprised that nobody has commented on any of this. Try and put the pieces together and then you might just see how interesting Nicholas Flamel can really get.**

 **Stay tuned!**


	9. A Land Without Magic

**Here we are! The last chapter of season 1! That being said, I have the results of the lucky lady who will be with Nicholas for this story. Drum roll please!**

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 **The winner is...**

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 **(opens envelope) Little Red Ridding Hood/Ruby Lucas!**

 **That's right, the pairing for this story is Nicholas Flamel/Red Ridding Hood. For the sake of not using a mix of their names (because I checked all four options and they just sounded weird) we'll just call the pairing Alchemy Wolf. I'll put that on character part of how this story is sorted so you'll be able to find this story if you select (Ruby, OC) once I post "Broken".**

 **Well, everyone get ready, this is the last season 1 episode. I blended the last two and the party scene for Mary Margaret after she was released. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

A day or two after Kathryn was found, all of Mary Margaret's friends decided to throw her a welcome home party at her and Emma's apartment. "Hello!" Nicholas happily greeted the other guests as he and Henry walked in.

"Nicholas, hey!" Emma welcomed with a hug, "Hey, kid." she said as she hugged Henry next, "So what'd you bring?"

"Shrimp puffs." Nicholas replied with a friendly smile.

"Oh." Emma said, "Well, that sounds-"

"Ah, I'm just screwing with you, Emma!" he laughed as he uncovered the plate in his hand, "It's Snickers Pie."

"Oh, thank God." she laughed.

"Nicholas, Henry, hi." Mary Margaret greeted.

"Hey." Nicholas said back as he gave his nephew a little nudge, "Go on, give it to her." he muttered.

"Give me what?" she asked.

"We made this for you in class today." Henry said as he gave his teacher a big red card signed by all of her students.

"We're so glad you didn't kill Mrs. Nolan." she read aloud.

"You didn't tell me it said that." Nicholas said in embarrassment at how blunt his nephew's gift was.

"Thank you, Henry." Mary Margaret said while everyone laughed, "Tell everyone I'll be back soon."

A week later, the Mills family was enjoying a nice quiet dinner at home when suddenly the doorbell rang. "I don't remember us expecting any company." Regina said as she got up to answer the door. As she opened it, she saw Emma standing before her. "Sheriff Swan. What are you doing here?"

"Henry and Nicholas invited me." she replied stiffly.

"Do you honestly believe I'd allow you into my house for dinner after all the threats you made to my family?" Regina asked bluntly.

"I didn't come for dinner."

"Then what did you come for?" Regina asked.

"You." Emma said. Regina then turned to look at her brother and son only to find them missing. Once she turned back, she saw all of those who she wronged with her curse. "We all did."

"It's the law of Equivalent Exchange, sister dear." Nicholas said from behind. Regina looked and saw her brother with a psychotic look on his face and Henry with rope over his shoulder, "You robbed her of her family, now she's robbed you of yours!"

Next thing Regina knew was that she was tied to her apple tree in the middle of town and each of the apples were black with rot and everyone surrounded her with torches. "No." she pleaded, "No. Let me go. I command it!"

"After everything you've done to all of us?!" Ruby cried.

"My apologies, your majesty, but my conscience is clear!" Archie spat.

"You're not queen anymore, sister!" Leroy shouted.

"Tighter!" Granny cried, "She needs to feel our pain!"

"You took our love and ripped it apart!" Mary Margaret yelled.

"And now you're gonna pay!" shouted David.

It was then that Emma and Nicholas walked up to her and looked her in the eyes. Emma picked one of the apples and crushed it into black slime at the former queen's feet. "Rotten to the core." she said.

"Nicholas, help me, please." Regina begged through her tears, "I just wanted to win for once."

"Help you?" he asked madly, "Why would I do that? The only woman I'm helping tonight is my true love."

"Your what?" Regina asked, suddenly, Emma was wearing her mother's wedding dress and Nicholas an expensive suit with Rumpelstiltskin looking like he did in the Enchanted Forest in between them.

"Go ahead, dearies!" he giggled, "You may kiss the bride!"

And kissed they did, it was filled with passion and lust; and a little bit of tongue too. Regina looked absolutely disgusted before Emma grabbed her by the throat.

"You took away our happiness, and now it's our turn to take away yours." Emma spat.

"Kill her quickly, babe." Nicholas whispered in her ear as he sucked on her lobe causing her to moan, "We still have our honeymoon to get to. Don't worry, Regina has the softest bed in town."

David then handed his daughter his sword all the while Regina begged, "Henry, Nicholas, please don't let them do this to me."

"You did this to yourself." Henry spat as Emma readied her sword and swung.

Regina then woke up in her bed with a cold sweat and fear filled heart. She quickly got out of bed to check on her son. Little did she know, the lump in his bed wasn't Henry. Henry was actually being driven out of Storybrooke by Emma herself.

The next day, Regina stormed into her brother's office with an angry look on her face, "You son of a bitch." she snarled as Nicholas sat in his chair reading the newspaper and smoking.

"That's kind of a double whammy considering we have the same bitch for a mother." Nicholas replied calmly.

"Sydney told me he saw Kathryn carry herself out over her shoulder. You're the only one who still has his powers and one of them is a convincing way to change your appearance at will." Regina snapped.

"Could've been someone wearing a mask." Nicholas replied as he continued to read.

"Damn it, Nicholas!" Regina shouted as she threw everything off of his desk, "Are you trying to ruin everything I've worked for?!"

"Yes, I am." he replied with a bored tone.

"What?" Regina asked not believing her ears, "Why?"

"Regina," Nicholas began as he finally put down his paper, "When are you finally going to realize that I never wanted any of this to happen? I was against this whole ordeal the moment you told me you went to Rumpelstiltskin for training. Yes, I freed Kathryn. Why? Because I find your whole pointless need for revenge so…annoying."

"Annoying?"

"Yes." he replied before mimicking his sister, " _Snow White told my mother about my secret boyfriend and rather than blame the real murderer, I'll blame a ten-year-old. Snow White's happy and I'm not! Emma Swan's just like her mother so I'm going to act like a total bitch and try to make her miserable!_ Get over yourself, Regina. You lost."

"…How could you?" Regina asked as she tried to get over her shock, "That woman went as far as taking Henry, my son and your nephew, last night!"

"And yet, here they are in town." he countered, "I may not be able to see the future like Gold, sister dear. But I am pretty damn good at understanding how people think. And I knew that Emma would come back one way or another. Question is, how are you going to deal with that? That tree of yours is getting worse the longer she stays here. If I'd have to take a guess, the curse has been weakened enough to where all she needs to do is share true love's kiss and the curse will be broken."

"No." she denied, "I haven't lost yet. Henry is my son and I will get rid of the Savior once and for all by any means!"

"And how are you going to do that?" Nicholas asked unimpressed, "You can't kill her or else the curse will be broken. You do nothing, the curse'll still wind up breaking here pretty soon. You can't make her leave and never come back, Henry's still here. Face it, Regina. You've lost."

"Why do you want the curse to end so badly?"

"That's my business." Nicholas replied hotly, "Besides, it'll be quite a while before I have to deal with it."

"Fine. But know this, Henry, and everyone else in this town will be as they should be. Under my control once I rid this place of Emma Swan. And I am willing to go as far as it takes." Regina snapped as she pushed her sibling away and stormed out the house.

"We'll see, sister dear." he growled as he stuck his pipe in his mouth.

Later that day while Nicholas sat in Granny's, he received a call from Emma; and it was certainly not a call he wanted to hear. Over the phone through her frantic shouting and worry, Emma told him that Henry had eaten an apple turnover his sister made for her and it sent him to the ground unconscious.

In the hospital, Emma just got through explaining what happened to Dr. Whale. Currently, she was digging through Henry's backpack to see if anything other than the turnover was the reason for her son's condition. As soon as she touched his storybook, flashes of everything Henry ever said poured into her mind. Emma had finally learned the truth.

"Where's my son?" Regina asked as she barged in.

"You did this." Emma said in a lowered voice before pulling Regina into a closest and attacked her, "You did this!" she yelled.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Regina cried as Emma threw her against the wall, "Stop this! My son-"

"Is sick because of you!" Emma cried, "That apple turnover you gave me-he ate it!"

"What?" Regina whispered before yelling, "It was meant for you!"

"It's true, isn't it?" Emma asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"It's true isn't it?!" Emma shouted, "All of it.

"…Yes." Regina finally admitted.

"I was leaving town. Why couldn't you just leave things alone?" Emma asked in a mix of emotions.

"Because as long as you're alive, Henry will never be mine!" Regina growled.

"He'll never be anyone's unless you fix this. You wake him up!" Emma demanded.

"I can't!" Regina cried.

"Don't you have magic?"

"That was the last of it." she admitted through her tears, "It was supposed to put you to sleep!"

"What's it going to do to him?" Emma asked as fear filled her.

"I don't know. Magic here is unpredictable."

"So…" Emma whispered as her lips trembled and voice broke, "So he could…"

"Yes."

"So what do we do?" she asked.

"We need help." replied Regina, "There's only two people in this town who can help us. One of them had magic…the other has alchemy which may help save Henry as a last resort."

"Mr. Gold and your brother." Emma deduced.

"Actually, they go by 'Rumplestiltskin' and 'Nicholas Flamel'." Regina corrected.

As night fell, Emma and Regina walked over to Gold's pawn shop. However, before they could get inside, two streaks of red the lightning surged on the ground and head straight for them.

"What the hell is that?" Emma asked while Regina looked at it with dread.

"That would be my extremely pissed off younger brother." she said just as a wall sprung from the ground behind her and bound her wrists and ankles to it as it moved forward.

"By any means, you said!" Nicholas shouted as he stomped over to his sister with his shadows directed at her, "Whatever the cost, you said! Tell me, sister dear," he spat, "Did that include practically putting Henry on his death in the process?!"

"He wasn't supposed to eat it!" Regina cried as she struggled, "It was meant for her!"

"Oh, well, that just makes everything all hunky-dory then, doesn't it?!" Nicholas snarled while Emma watched his display in shock, "When I asked you what you were prepared to do, I didn't mean become so desperate that you would feel the need to bring that goddamn fruit here!"

"Stop it!" Emma shouted as she pulled the alchemist away, "The longer you two waist our time shouting, the less time we have to save Henry. Nicholas, if you want to help, you're gonna have to hold off on this little sibling spat of yours. Got it?"

Nicholas said nothing, but he did release his sister and undid his wall while putting his shadows away. "If that boy dies," he growled in his sister's face, "Then you'll die too. Slowly…and painfully."

"Do my eyes deceive me," Gold asked as they all walked, "Or is that the look of a believer?"

"We need your help." Emma said to the point.

"Indeed you do." he nodded, "It seems quite the tragic ailment has befallen our young friend. I told you magic comes with a price." Gold said to Regina.

"Henry shouldn't have to pay it." she said softly.

"No, you should, but alas, we are where we are."

"Can you help us?" Emma asked.

"Of course. True love, Ms. Swan. The only magic powerful enough to transcend realms and break any curse. Lucky for you, I happen to have bottled some." Gold informed.

"You did?" Regina asked in shock.

"Why am I not surprised?" Nicholas asked with a scoff.

"Oh, yes. From strands of your parents' hair, I made the most powerful potion on all the realm, so powerful that when I create the dark curse, I placed a single drop on the parchment. Just a little safety valve."

"That's why I'm the Savior." Emma realized, "That's why I can break the curse."

"Duh." Nicholas said flatly.

"I don't care about breaking the curse. All I care about is saving Henry."

"Which is why it's your lucky day." Gold informed, "I didn't use all the potion. I saved some for a rainy day."

"Well, it's storming like a bitch. Where is it?" Emma asked.

"Something tells me its location isn't the issue." Nicholas speculated.

"Indeed. Getting it is what should worry you." nodded the dark one.

"Enough riddles. What do we do?" Regina asked.

"You do nothing." Gold snapped, "It has to be Ms. Swan."

"He's my son. It should be me."

"Considering that you're the one who's endangered him in the first place. You don't get that luxury." Nicholas snapped.

"And it has to be her. She's the product of the magic. She must be the one to find it." Gold explained.

"I can do it." Emma declared.

"Don't trust him." Regina warned.

"Regina," Nicholas snapped once again, "Hush. It's not like we have much of a choice."

"That's right, dearie. What choice do you have?" Gold asked mockingly.

"Where is this magic?" Emma asked.

"Tell me something, your majesty. Is our friend still in the basement?" asked the dark one.

"Oh," groaned Nicholas, "I cannot believe you two went and dragged her into all of this."

"You twisted little imp. You hid it with her?!" Regina asked in shock.

"Oh, no, not with her. In her." Gold clarified, "I knew you couldn't resist bringing her over."

"Who is her?" Emma asked.

"Someone you should be prepared for, Emma." Nicholas warned.

"Where you're going, Ms. Swan, you're going to need this." Gold said as he opened a case and revealed its contents.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"Your father's sword." Rumplestiltskin replied flashing his gold tooth.

With the sword in her hand, Emma and the two siblings exited the pawn shop and discussed their next actions. "Before we do this, I want to see Henry." Emma informed.

"So do I." Regina nodded.

"I'll stop by later. There are some things I need to check on." Nicholas replied.

"More important than your nephew?" Regina asked hotly.

"Considering if I don't check on them and something has tampered with them, not only will Henry's life be in danger should we succeed, but everyone else's as well? Yes. Presently, they are important enough for me to check on them fist before Henry." Nicholas spat.

"Okay," Emma nodded, "But as soon as you're done, you'll be over there with Henry?"

"I'll be at his side before dawn." he nodded. As Emma turned around and began to walk away, she suddenly stopped and turned back around.

"You're seriously _the_ Nicholas Flamel?" she asked.

Nicholas shrugged and said, "What? Were you expecting somebody older? Not as good-looking?"

Throughout the night, Nicholas ran all over town to inspect his devices and made sure they were working properly while Emma dealt with Maleficent. After he finished, he raced over to the hospital and made it to Henry as the sun rose. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed in the room due to the doctors surrounding the poor boy.

"Nicholas," Mother Superior said gently as she approached him, "I know you aren't exactly a man of faith but…just know…if Henry doesn't make it, just know he'll be in a better place which one day you'll find him in."

"You keep all your words of comfort and faith to yourself, Mother Superior." Nicholas said softly as he kept his eyes on his nephew, "If there is such a place after death…someone like me won't find himself among those like Henry."

Suddenly, the doctors stopped what they were doing one by one. Dr. Whale had his back to Nicholas, but he could see his head drop in defeat. At that moment, Nicholas felt his heart stop and break; but he didn't shed a tear.

Both he and Mother Superior walked in and saw the boy's still body on the bed. As the nun said her prayer, Nicholas saw all the fond memories he had with his nephew. From feeding him in his high-chair as a baby, to being there for his first steps and words, to his first day at school, to his fist swimming lessons, to the late-night movie and popcorn sessions with Henry tucked under his arm with a blanket.

But now, all that was gone and it would never happen again. It was times like this that made Nicholas curse his immortality and the one who gave it to him against his will. As he thought all of this, Emma walked in with a devastated look on her face while Regina looked crushed on the other side of the glass.

Emma trembled as she quietly sobbed over her son's death. With one last act as the boy's mother, Emma walked over to him, parted his hair from his cold forehead. "I love you, Henry." she whispered before kissing his forehead.

As soon as her lips touched his skin, a wave of magic erupted from them and like his grandmother before him, Henry awoke with a loud gasp. All around them, the people in the room and all over town felt floods of memories inside their heads.

The curse was broken.

"I love you, too." Henry said to Emma as joy filled her heart, "You saved me."

It was then that the room filled with nurses, doctors and patients looking at Emma in awe. "Henry…what's going on?" Emma asked.

"The curse. I think you broke it." he replied happily.

"That was True Love's Kiss." Nicholas informed with a delighted smirk.

"No. No." Regina said as she began to realize the situation.

"If I were you, sister dear," Nicholas said as he looked at his defeated sibling, "I'd find a place to hide."

"Henry," Regina said as she went to his bedside, "No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you." And with that, the mayor of Storybrooke fled the hospital.

"It's finally over." Nicholas said aloud, "Won't be long now before we see each other again, old friend." he thought the last part in nostalgia.

"Henry, Nicholas, what's going on here?" Emma asked.

"What do you mean?" Nicholas asked the sheriff.

"If the curse is broken, why hasn't anyone gone back?" she asked only to see her friend smirk as he looked past her and out the window. "Nicholas?"

"…This just makes things even better." he muttered. Everyone then looked out the window and saw purple smoke envelope the town.

Somewhere in the depths of Storybrooke, even further than where Maleficent was contained, a pale faced man with bleached brown hair and sullen brown eyes raised his head and sensed the smoke envelope the town. He wore white robes and sat in a chair made of stone and behind this throne were seven sets of red eyes glowing in the shadows; each one varying in height.

"Soon, Flamel," the man said in a deep voice, "We shall settle our affairs once and for all."

 **There you have it. The curse has been broken and magic has been returned to Storybrooke. Who is the man beneath the town and what does he have in store for Nicholas?**

 **Well, you're going to find out eventually so stay tuned. Oh, and that whole thing with Emma and Nicholas in Regina's nightmare had absolutely no meaning; that was just one of her worst fears her brother marrying the woman she hates and spending their honeymoon in her bed. To me, I thought that was a nice little touch.**

 **I hope you all liked it and I'd love some feedback. Thanks for reading and the next chapter should come out in a day or two.**

 **And before I forget, I'll have a little surprise before the actual story part of the next chapter. I honestly doubt you guys'll like it that much, but it's just something that popped into my head a few days ago and I want to write it. Like I said, it's not in the story itself, just in the A.N. before it starts.**

 **See ya!**


	10. Broken

**Okay, here it is, season 2! Now before we get to the actual story, I have that surprise I told you guys about. It'll involve everyone from Storybrooke. If anyone reading is a fan of Galavant [shame it got canceled :( ] you'll enjoy this. Hopefully. This was just something I felt the need to include in this story for some reason.**

 **But first, a little word from Emma and Nicholas.**

 **Emma: Hey, guys. Hope you're enjoying the story so far.**

 **Nicholas: Well, I hope you like it more considering this is story is all about me. Not to sound snobbish or anything.**

 **Emma: Nicholas, trust me, compared to your sister, nobody is going to think that way about you.**

 **Nicholas: I'll take your word for it, Emma.**

 **Emma: Well, as much as we would like to keep talking, you people have a story to read. We hope you enjoy and-**

 **Hook: Sorry to interrupt, love. But we're not quite done here.**

 **Emma: Killian, what are you doing here? You haven't been introduced in this story yet.**

 **Hook: Aye, but the author thought it best if my crew and I step in.**

 **Nicholas: So what are you saying?**

 **Hook: What I'm saying is** ** _…We're gonna have to kill you if you don't sing one damn song._**

 **Emma: What?**

 **Hook:** ** _This show was made by Disney, now it's time to get it on. Winter's not just coming._**

 **Smee:** ** _Hell, it came, and then it went._**

 **Hook:** ** _Now it's back with this year's least expected big event!_**

 **Nicholas:** **You mean?**

 **Pirates:** **Arrgh**! **_It's a new season for our hero and pals. A new season and it's gonna be scorchin'. Off on new sprees and new exotic locales._**

 **Hook:** ** _With new guests who cost the network a fortune._**

 **Nicholas:** **_I'll go and help the people of this town I do so love._**

 **Emma:** **_I'll suffer through the hassle as I face my parents' love._**

 **Pirates:** **_It's a new season, so we won't be reprisin' old tunes._**

[IN TOWN]

 **Man:** ** _Way back in days of old, there was a legend told…duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, Gala-_**

 **Noooo**! [STABES MAN WITH SWORD]

 **Townsfolk:** **_It's a new season in Storybrooke, too!_**

 **David:** **_A new season and it's totally bitchin'._**

 **Ruby:** **_We have no fleas in our new clothing._**

 **Granny:** **_It's true! And grilled-cheese in our new cutting-edge kitchen._**

 **Grumpy:** **_We'll stay here with the princess 'cause she used to bunk with us._**

 **Doc:** **_Yes, we know that's creepy, still it's what our family does._**

 **Townsfolk:** **_It's a new season~!_**

 **Henry:** **_And my grandma, why she's in her room._**

 **Snow:** **_I've tried so desperately to find my daughter. Tried, yes, I've tried, dear god, I've tried. Though as an adult, she won't quite need me. Where is my baby girl? I'll find you, baby girl! And then our plot lines will re-collide!_**

[REGINA'S HOUSE AND MR. GOLD'S PAWN SHOP]

 **Regina:** **_It's a new season for my brand new regime._**

 **Gold:** **_A new season here in sunny Storybrooke-a!_**

 **Regina:** **_With new treason to deliciously scheme._**

 **Gold:** **_And new levels of psychotic dementia!_**

 **Regina:** **_I'm putting every qualm aside to seize the town's new reigns._**

 **Gold:** **_I'll commit some homicide and sing a few refrains._**

[IN TOWN]

 **Archie/Blue Fairy/Whale/Granny:** **_And this season maybe we'll get to squeeze in some-_**

 **Townsfolk:** **_So in the weeks to come ignore the pageants that they'll hold._**

 **Gold:** _ **Skip the football matches.**_

 **David:** **_And the globes made out of gold._**

 **Pirates:** **_Screw all those apprentices!_**

 **Townsfolk:** **_And every bachelorette._**

 **Everyone:** **_Give into the miracle the author never thought we'd get!_**

 **Nicholas/Emma/Hook/Pirates:** **_It's a new season, though it's still not that long._**

 **David/Snow/Townsfolk:** **_A new season with some slightly new shadings._**

 **Regina/Gold/Belle/Other Townsfolk:** **_There was no reason why we burst into song._**

 **Nicholas/Emma/Hook/Pirates:** **_You'll know hell's freezing if we get decent ratings!_**

 **Snow:** **_Join the royals_**

 **David:** **_And the Shepherd_**

 **Belle:** **_And the servant_**

 **Ruby:** **_And the chef!_**

 **Regina:** **_The queen_**

 **Gold:** **_The imp_**

 **Emma** ** _: The hero_**

 **Nicholas:** **_And the hero's B.F.F!_**

 **Henry:** **_And the whole entire season ends with goons sent by Peter Pan-in Neverland to kidnap me after they kill my father cause Peter Pan is dying so he needs the heart of the boy who has the heart of the truest believer…_**

 **Nicholas:** **_Way to blow it, you twerp!_**

 **Nicholas/Emma/Hook/Pirates:** **_It's a new season so hang onto your sword!_**

 **David/Snow/Ruby/Dwarves/Townsfolk:** **_A new season which we hope you'll follow_**

 **Regina/Gold/Belle/Other Townsfolk:** **_A new season so get comfortable, please, and let's go!_**

 **All:** **_Ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh-ahh!_**

 **[SONG FINISHED]**

 **Nicholas: See, now that was a number.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters or that song from Galavant.**

As Emma, Henry and Nicholas walked through the streets of Storybrooke, they saw Snow, David, Red, Granny and the dwarves embrace each other with happy tears in some of their eyes.

"Go on," Nicholas said bumping the sheriff, "Go meet your parents."

Emma looked reluctant and a little afraid, but she did so. As she approached them from behind she heard Snow say, "Now I find my daughter."

"…So it's true." Emma said aloud gaining the crowd's attention. Snow and David slowly approached their daughter as tears filled their eyes. Snow cupped her daughter's face in her hands and pulled her into a hug long overdue.

"You found us." Snow cried happily as David joined the hug.

Henry walked over to them and looked up at David and said, "Grandpa?"

Snow laughed at the fact that was true; both she and her husband at the age of twenty-eight were grandparents. "Yeah, kid. I suppose so." David chuckled as he pulled his grandson into a hug.

"She did it." Henry said happily, "She saved you."

"She saved all of us." Snow praised.

"I…well…" Emma said growing uncomfortable.

"Uh, then why are we still here?" Leroy/Grumpy asked.

"Yeah," Emma said as she turned to the alchemist, "Why is that, Nicholas?"

Everyone turned and realized that Nicholas was indeed there with them; each of them had unreadable looks on their faces. Nicholas shifted uncomfortably at their gazes as he shrugged his shoulder, "Hell if I know." he said, "I'm an alchemist. I don't know why we're still here."

"You helped the Evil Queen cast the curse." Henry argued.

"No I didn't." Nicholas replied looking displeased with his nephew's attitude, "I spent the entire time trying to convince Regina not to cast the curse. And ever since Emma arrived, I did everything I could to help her break it. I was the one who freed Kathryn and brought her back to town."

"You did that?" Emma asked, "Not Gold?"

"No, not Gold. I did." he replied as everyone looked at each other in shock, "Henry, I don't know what that book of yours says about me, but I have never supported any of the things Regina has done since she became the Evil Queen."

"You still wiped out an entire kingdom when you were a slave." the boy sneered.

"Henry!" Emma scolded.

Nicholas looked as though he was trying to control the rage his nephew suddenly unleashed. He trembled with anger and gritted his teeth as he raised a finger at Henry. "You don't know a thing about what that night. If you're only going to go off of what that book has told you now that everyone remembers who they are, you're in for a rude awakening." he growled as Henry got behind Emma, "And don't you ever…ever speak to me like that again."

"Nicholas," Ruby gently said as she went over to soothe him, "It's okay. He doesn't know. Just let it go."

"Henry," Snow said as she bent down to her grandson's level, "All Nicholas has ever done since Regina and I started fighting each other is try to end it without hurting both sides. There were a lot of times he helped us, all of us, when we were in trouble."

"But my book never said that in any of your stories." he argued.

"Maybe not," Snow gently reasoned, "But if it weren't for his help, we probably wouldn't be here right now or even in the Enchanted Forest. Just because he's your mother's brother doesn't mean he's guilty of her crimes, too."

"I can't believe I was stupid enough to think he'd see me in a different light once the curse was broken." Nicholas muttered as Ruby continued to try and calm him down.

"Nicholas, he's just a boy." she reasoned, "All he knows is what his book said. You just need to show him that it was wrong about you. What happened in Xerxes wasn't your fault."

"And yet, that damn book of his says otherwise." he growled.

"But you know what happened." Ruby reminded as she cupped his face, "All of us here have seen the good in you and the good you've done. Don't let some pieces of paper tell you or anyone else otherwise."

"…Why are you so good to me?" Nicholas asked as he finally calmed down.

"I'm your girl." Ruby replied warmly before hugging the immortal alchemist.

"Uh, does anyone know what that smoke was earlier?" Leroy asked as Mother Superior approached them.

"Magic. It's here. I can feel it." she informed.

"Magic? In Storybrooke?" Henry asked, You're the Blue Fairy. Do something magical."

"It's not quite that simple, Henry." she replied, "No wand, no fairy dust. Matters are complicated now."

"Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it-the queen." Leroy suggested with a growl while his brothers agreed.

"No. Wait." Emma spoke up, "It wasn't Regina. It was Gold." Emma then marched off in anger towards the pawn shop.

"Is there anything you want to ask us?" Snow asked as everyone followed the savior, "You must have questions."

"The only questions I have are for Mr. Gold. Why did he double-cross me, and what did he do to this town?" Emma replied, but Snow wasn't about to give up.

"Uh…shouldn't we talk about…it first?" she asked.

"What?"

"Us? Your life? Everything?" Snow replied with several examples.

"Can we do 'everything' maybe later, like with a glass of wine…and several bottles?" Emma asked with complaint.

"And I thought you had a drinking problem, Grumpy." Nicholas muttered to the dwarf causing them to chuckle. Though, Snow heard this and sent them both a glare.

"I know it's a lot to take in, for all of us." David reasoned.

"And we don't want to push, but we have waited for this moment for so long." said Snow before Emma cut her off.

"Yeah, so have I! I've thought about this moment my entire life. I've imagined who you might be. But of all the scenarios that I concocted, my parents being…Snow White and Prince Charming…I-I just need a little time, that's-that's all."

As she said this, the sound of a shouting crowd could be heard down the street led by Dr. Whale. Archie then came running down the street in a panic. "There you are." he panted, "Come with me. I need your help. Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're gonna kill her."

"Great. Let's watch." Leroy dryly suggested.

"Hey!" Nicholas scolded as he smacked the dwarf, "That's my sister you're talking about. Despite the fact that I'm still pissed at her, and that she can be a total bitch, and that she's killed countless people and ruined the lives of everyone in this town-"

"Where are you going with this?" Snow interrupted.

"The point is!" Nicholas exclaimed, "I'm not about to just let my sister get torn apart by an angry mob."

"Flamel's right." Archie nodded, "We cannot stoop to her level. No matter who she is or what's she's done, killing her is wrong."

"Please." Henry begged, "She's still my mom."

"We have to stop them." Emma agreed as she looked at her reluctant parents.

"Guys," Nicholas said as he faced them all, "All of you has every right to want Regina to be killed. But I won't allow what's left of my family to be torn away from me again. I lost her once, I don't plan on going through that again."

"If the Blue Fairy is right and magic is here, Regina could have her powers back." David warned, "They could be marching into a slaughter.

"Nothing I can't handle should she decide to retaliate." Nicholas eased as they ran to cut off the mob. As they made it to the house, they could see Regina getting ready to attack the angry crowd.

"You wanted to see your queen?" she asked, "Well, my dears, here…she…is!" she said as the threw out her hands to cast a spell, only nothing happened.

"She's powerless!" a man cried.

"What?" Regina muttered in confusion before Whale pinned her against the column.

"Now, where were we?" he asked.

Just then, the sound of a loud snap and explosion of heat came from the start of the path to the house. It came from Nicholas wearing his flame alchemy gloves; and he did not have a happy expression on his face.

"If anyone doesn't want to get burned alive," he shouted as he lowered his hand and aimed it at them all, "Get away from my sister!"

"It's Flamel!" one of them cried in fear.

"The queen's brother!"

"He'll kill us all!"

"Don't tempt me!" he spat as Emma ran up and pulled Whale away.

"Let her go!" she ordered the doctor.

"Why should I listen to you?" he asked.

"Because I am still the sheriff." Emma snapped.

"And because I have a twitchy finger, Whale." Nicholas added as he joined his friend.

"She saved you, all of you." David defended.

"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this." Snow lectured.

"We are not murderers here." said Emma.

"Well, we're not from this world." Whale retorted.

"Yeah, well, you're in it now." Red said as she took Nicholas's hand in her own.

"Okay, Whale," David said as he pushed the man away from his daughter, "We're done."

"Back off. You're not my prince." he snapped.

"Who are you, Whale?" David asked.

"That's my business." he sneered.

"Well," David scoffed, "My business is making sure this town doesn't go to Hell, so whether or not I'm your prince isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out, and this isn't the way to do it."

"And Regina's death won't provide any answers." Snow added as she spoke to the crowd, "She needs to be locked up for her safety, and more importantly, for ours."

Regina was then escorted to the sheriff's station and placed in one of the cells. "So I'm a prisoner now." she stated as David shut the door.

"If the curse is broken, why didn't we go back?" he asked.

"Because there's nothing to go back to." Regina replied, "That land is gone."

"We should get to Gold." Snow suggested as they all left.

"Nicholas, wait." Regina pleaded as they made their way. Hearing his sister, he decided to stop while the others looked at him.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll catch up." he informed.

"Are you sure?" Red asked in concern.

"Yeah, I need to have a little chat with my sister." he hissed. As the heroes left, Nicholas started at his caged sibling with a blank look.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

"Well what?" he dryly asked.

"Grab the spare key. Use your alchemy-get me out of here!" Regina said in expectation.

"Do you honestly think after all that you've done; I'm just going to let you waltz out of here so you can do who knows what?" he asked, "Because of you and your personal vendetta against Emma, my nephew almost died this morning. Not to mention, because of the vendetta you have or had against Snow, you killed our father and I had to live twenty-eight years watching the one woman I have ever loved act like a tramp instead herself. I spent eight months trying to convince you to give up and move on with your life. But you just ignored me. You took me and father for granted and pushed the love we gave you away all for nothing!" Nicholas spat.

"So don't expect me to just forgive you for all of that in the blink of an eye, sister dear. The only reason why I prevented Whale and that mob from tearing limb from limb was because you are still my sister. I love you to death, Regina. But as of now…you're alone in this world."

And with that, Nicholas Flamel turned away in a huff. Once it was dark out, the Charmings, Red and Nicholas stormed over to Gold's for answers. "What can I do for you?" he calmly asked while brewing a pot of tea.

"What you can do is tell us what you did." Emma hotly whispered.

"I'm sorry. You're gonna have to be more specific." Gold replied playing the innocent card.

"You know damn well what we're talking about." David retorted.

"You double-crossed Emma, you took your potion from her." Snow added.

"And did who knows what to this town." Red threw in.

"And worst of all, you risked my nephew's life." Nicholas growled.

"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances, now isn't it?" Gold asked in boredom.

"Maybe I don't need answers." Emma said finally losing her patience, "Maybe I just need to punch you in the face."

"Oh." Gold laughed, "Really, dearie? Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own. Did your dear boy Henry survive?"

"Yeah." Emma said with her arms crossed.

"Is the curse broken? And let's see, uh, Ms. Swan, how long have you been searching for your parents? Looks like you're reunited." Gold observed before facing Nicholas, "And Mr. Flamel, how long have you been waiting to confront that old friend of yours? What with the curse gone, that should happen sometime in the near future, shouldn't it?"

"Things would certainly be easier regarding that if we were back in the Enchanted Forest. But thanks to you, we have to settle things here." Nicholas hissed.

"What old friend?" Emma asked.

"Don't worry about it." he waved off.

"Yes, well, despite that, seems like rather than a punch in the face, I deserve a thank-you." Gold smirked.

"Twist my words all you want. What was that purple haze that you brought?" Emma asked.

"You know…magic." he replied making a playful gesture like he used to.

"Why?" Snow asked.

"Not telling." he replied just before the ground shook.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"That is my gift to you." Gold informed, "That is going to take care of Regina." he said as explosion occurred and the roaring of a dark creature filled the air.

"You son of a bitch." Nicholas growled as he grabbed the dark one by the collar, "You brought one of those here?!"

"You and your sister took someone I love away from me once," Gold growled, "Now I get to take away someone you love, Flamel."

"What are you talking about?!" he asked.

"Belle." Gold spat.

"Belle?" Nicholas asked in bewilderment, "I haven't seen that girl since that day on the road. Regina never told me what she did with her here or there."

"Oh, well. She's getting what she deserves as we speak." Gold said before leaning up to speak between his gritting teeth, "Long live the queen."

"Nicholas, come on." Red said as she pulled his arm to the door.

"Nicholas, we need to take care of this." David stressed. Nicholas relented and let Rumple go as he followed his friends out the door. But not before Gold stopped him with his words.

"Remember this, dearie. Now that there's magic here, you aren't the only resident of Storybrooke that's immortal, anymore."

In her cell, Regina felt an ominous presence fill the room. "Hello? Who's there?" she asked as the lights flickered. It was then that the hooded figure that was the wraith floated before her cell, ready to feast on her soul.

As it began to do just that, Nicholas barged in and sent a burst of flames at the creature causing it to wail in agony and flee the station. "Regina, are you alright?" he asked helping his sister to her feet.

"What the hell was that thing?" Emma asked.

"A wraith!" Regina replied catching her breath, "A soul-sucker."

"Is it-"

"Dead?" Nicholas cut off, "No, it's regenerating. Can't kill something that's already dead. It won't stop until it devours its prey."

"Me." Regina said in fear.

"Then we have a problem." Emma noted.

"No, we don't." David denied, "Regina does."

"What?" Regina and Nicholas asked.

"David?" Snow asked.

"You want to let her die?" Emma asked her father.

"Why not?" he asked, "Then it goes away. Then we're safe."

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughter there." Regina remarked bitterly.

"Hey." Nicholas snapped as he held off David, "You don't get to judge them."

"Let me ask all of you something. Where do you think that thing came from?" Regina asked, "Gold."

"We know."

"I made a promise to Henry." Emma reminded her father, "She's not dying."

"Boy, you've certainly been a pain in everyone's ass today, sis." Nicholas remarked as she glared at him.

"If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?" Red asked.

"Send it somewhere it can't hurt anyone." Regina offered. After gathering makeshift torches and Jefferson's portal jumping hat, everyone waited for the wraith to comeback. David, Red, Snow and Emma armed themselves with the torches while Nicholas readied his shadows and gloves.

As the wraith barged in, the five heroes gave Regina cover as she tried to get the hat to work only to no avail. "Anytime now, Regina!" Nicholas shouted as he snapped his fingers.

"It's not working!" she replied.

"Now would be the time!" shouted David. As Emma went over to see what the issue was, she grabbed onto Regina's arm which gave her enough magic to open a portal. Unfortunately, the wraith got past them and managed to fall into the portal along with Emma.

"No!" Snow and David shouted, "I'm not losing her again!" Snow cried as she jumped in after her. All around them, the furniture in the room was being whipped around by the portal's vortex.

"I got 'em!" Nicholas shouted as he stood on the railing and extended his arms to grab them. Unfortunately, one of the desks struck him and sent him head first into the portal. As soon as he was halfway in it, the portal suddenly closed and severed Nicholas from the navel up leaving his lower waist and legs on the floor as they slowly regenerated the rest of his body.

"Nicholas!" Red and Regina cried as they went over to him. It was a gruesome process, they had to watch him regenerate everything, bones, muscles, tissue, and skin.

"Agh." he groaned as he finished repairing himself.

"Nicholas, are you okay?" Red asked.

"Ah, I forgot what that feels like." he muttered as he clenched his jaw. He then used his transformation ability to replace his missing clothes; for some reason, he also patted himself with a confused look on his face. "I feel thinner. Do I look thinner to any of you?"

He then realized he was sitting on something and realized it was the hat. "No." David said as he saw its condition.

"David, I'm so sorry." Nicholas apologized.

"Use your alchemy." he said desperately, "Please, you have to fix it."

"I can't." Nicholas said as he shook his head, "If there's one thing I learned it's that alchemy and magic must never be used together. There will always be terrible outcomes."

David looked absolutely shattered. Red was about to comfort him, but he stood up and snarled at the queen. "Where are they?!"

"I have no idea." she replied.

"Are they dead?"

"The curse-it destroyed all the land."

"Are they dead?!" David shouted.

"I don't know." Regina informed standing her ground.

"I should've killed you myself." he growled.

"David, calm down." Nicholas interjected, "This won't get us anywhere."

"Well, then what's stopping you?" Regina asked as they ignored her brother. She then pushed him back and used her magic to make the branches on the wallpaper become real and ensnare both Red and the prince. "You think you're some heroic prince? Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd. And you're just a girl who turns into a mutt a under the moon."

"Enough!" Nicholas cried as his alchemy destroyed the branches and the rest of the wallpaper around them.

"Mom?! Uncle?!" Henry cried from the entrance of the room. Red was the closest so she went over to keep him safe from

"Henry, what are you doing here?" Regina asked.

"What are you two doing?" he asked.

"It's okay, you're safe now." Nicholas reassured as he got to the boy first.

"Where's my mom?" he asked, "Where's-"

"They're gone." Regina informed as she joined her brother at Henry's level, "They fell through a portal. They're…Henry, I'm so sorry." she apologized.

"No, you're not." Henry denied, "You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again." he said through his heartbreak.

"No, don't say that." Regina begged choking on her words, "I love you."

"Then prove it." he said, "Get Emma and Mary Margaret back, and until then, leave me-leave everyone alone."

"Where will you go?" Regina asked.

"With me." Nicholas said as he pulled Henry away from his sister. David and Red followed them out the door and walked with them through the streets.

"Hey, Nicholas," David said after the alchemist let his nephew walk with Red ahead of them, "If you need a place to stay, you and Henry are welcome at the loft."

"You sure?" he asked, "Thank you, David, I appreciate that."

"It's the least I can do." David replied.

"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough. If that damn desk hadn't hit me, I may have been able to pull them back."

"It's alright." said David as he patted his old friend on the back, "We'll find a way to get them back. I believe they're still alive."

"They are." Nicholas replied, "Nothing, not even something whipped up by magic, is capable of destroying an entire realm. If Emma and Snow were sent to the Enchanted Forest, they're alive."

"They are?" David asked in hope.

"However." Nicholas cut off, "This curse took four of the most dangerous people in our land, Rumplestiltskin, Maleficent, King George and my sister and brought them here. Time was not only frozen here for twenty-eight years, but there as well. And there's no telling how long it's been since time resumed there.

"What do you mean?"

"See time started moving here the night Emma decided to stay in Storybrooke. But does that mean that it started moving over then when that happened, or this morning when Emma broke the curse?" Nicholas asked, "That curse left four open spots for any evil lying in dormant to fill."

"And you think that Emma and Snow are in danger because of that?" David asked.

"I don't know. But what I can tell you is this, there were dangers there when we left, and not all of them came with us." Nicholas replied.

Later that night, the three of them made it to the loft after Red went to her own home. Once Henry was put to bed upstairs, David readied the coach for Nicholas while said alchemist inspected himself in Snow's full body mirror.

"Nicholas, what are you doing?" David asked.

"I feel strange, David." he replied, "I feel thinned."

"You don't look thinner to me." David observed.

"No, not 'thinner'. Thinned." Nicholas corrected, "Like I've been split in two."

"You were split in two, remember?"

"Yes, but this feels different than it used too." he replied.

"You never felt like this after regenerating before?"

"Never." Nicholas shook his head, "I know it's been twenty-eight years, but something feels off."

"I'm sure you'll feel fine in the morning." David reasoned, "It's been a long day."

"Yeah, you may be right." Nicholas reluctantly agreed.

 **OUaT**

In an abandoned castle in the Enchanted Forest, two women, one dressed as a warrior and the other as a princess, looked at the sight before them. Emma, Snow and ANOTHER Nicholas lying unconscious in a pile of rubble.

Only…this Nicholas was naked from the navel down.

 **What?! There are two Nicholases?! Find out why that is in the next chapter. Oh, and please let me know what you guys thought of that song I included in the first A.N. please. I really want to know what you guys thought.**


	11. We are Both

**Here's the latest chapter. Enjoy, everybody! Oh, and one other thing before I forget. For those of you who are wondering who it is I have playing the role of Nicholas...well, I have absolutely no idea. I can't seem to find anyone that I think has the best resemblance to how I'm picturing him. I leave it up to you guys how you want to picture him. But if you guys want me to pick someone to play him, just tell me. Remember, he has chestnut brown hair and brown eyes. Picture his hair wiry yet long enough to part even though he doesn't.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

The following day of the wraith's attack, the entire town of Storybrooke was in a panic. Most of Main Street was destroyed and covered with debris; thankfully, Nicholas began repairs with his Alchemy as soon as the sun rose. At town hall, Red helped organize the panicking crowd as they searched for loved ones, supplies for their damaged homes, etc.

David, on the other hand, paid a visit to Regina in hopes that she would be able to repair the hat. Of course, it goes without saying that Regina proved to be a dead end so he returned to town hall where he was bombarded with questions.

Lucky for him, Nicholas and the dwarves broke the commotion; unfortunately, they didn't have good news. "Terrible news! Terrible news!" Leroy cried as they ran over hauling a confused looking Sneezy.

"I found I them running through town like this from the town line." Nicholas said to David in a panic.

"We were out testing to see if it was possible to leave town." Leroy explained, "Tell them who you think you are, Sneezy!"

"Will you stop calling me that?" he asked dryly, "You know who I am. I'm Tom Clark. I own the Dark Star Pharmacy. What's going on here?"

"If you cross the border, you lose your memory all over again." Nicholas explained.

"And coming back doesn't fix it?" Archie asked.

"If it did, would I have come running in yelling 'terrible news'?!" Leroy bellowed, "If we leave, our cursed selves become our only selves."

"…Well, we're boned." Nicholas bluntly said breaking the silence. As soon as he said this, everyone erupted in another uproar and surrounded the prince.

"People!" he cried trying to calm them, "Everybody! Everybody, meet back here in two hours. I'll tell you my plan to fix everything."

As he walked away, Red, Nicholas and Henry followed him. "What's the plan?" Red asked.

"I don't know, but I got two hours to figure it out." David replied.

 **OUaT**

In the gardens of the palace that would soon be his sister's, Flamel enjoyed the cool breeze as he smoked his pipe. But it didn't last as he saw Regina storm out of the castle nearly in tears.

"Regina," he called as she went past him, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's Mother, Nicholas." Regina replied, "You don't know what she's doing to me. It's like she's turning me into her. I have to get away."

"Away?" he asked, "Regina, the wedding's tomorrow. Mother won't let you out of her sight."

"I don't care. I don't want to marry the king, I told you that." his sister said as her voice broke.

"I know, but there's nothing Mother won't do to prevent anything from ruining this wedding. Even if you try to talk to her all she'll do is write it off as cold feet." Flamel reminded.

"This is not cold feet, Nicholas. This-this is-this is insanity!" Regina cried, "I'm angry all the time. She's making me crazy."

"To her, it's her giving you everything she never got for herself." Flamel reasoned.

"I don't want her life." she said crying, "I want a life of my own. How did she get like this?"

"Father once told me that story. There was a man. Someone Mother knew before they met. He was the one who taught her magic and gave her that spell book of hers. He was the one who made her what she is."

"Who was he?" Regina asked.

"He was the one who brought me home after beating him in deal we made." he replied.

"What is his name?"

"Regina," Flamel pleaded.

"What was his name?" she asked again.

"I cannot tell you. He's dangerous." Flamel warned, "Anything involving him comes at a price."

"And yet your deal with him went well." Regina retorted.

"That's because I made the deal before he could. Not to mention, he underestimated me and I was able to exploit that."

"But his book would say." Regina deduced. Seeing that his sister made up her mind, Flamel sighed in defeat.

 **OUaT**

In Storybrooke, David and Nicholas barged into Gold's shop with the tattered hat in their possession. "Looks like I was throwing my money away when I bought that closed sign." Gold remarked with distaste.

"Looks like it." Nicholas retorted.

"Sorry to hear about your wife and daughter, Mr. Nolan. If you're looking for retrieval, I'm afraid portal-jumping is just outside my purview."

"Of course it is." nodded David.

"So what's all the commotion outside?" Gold asked.

"A little stir at the border." Nicholas informed, "A problem crossing the line."

"Do tell." Gold commented looking intrigued.

"Actually, I'm here to buy something-a way to find someone." David informed.

"What, like a map?"

"Something with a bit more kick, like the ring you gave me to find Snow."

"Oh, yeah. Magic. Whom are you following?"

"Not telling."

"So do you have something of theirs, this missing person?" Gold asked.

"Yes."

"May I see it?"

"No." they replied causing Gold to chuckle. He then pulled out a small vial filled with a locator potion.

"Pour this on the object and then follow it. So simple, even David Nolan and Nicholas Mills could do it."

"What do you want for it?" David asked.

"Peace." Gold replied, "Leave me alone."

"And what do you care what David Nolan and Nicholas Mills do?" Nicholas scoffed.

"No. No." Gold denied, "It's Charming and Flamel I worry about. I'd like a little…non-interference guarantee. From both of you."

"Fine. If you give us the same." David bargained, "We stay out of each other's ways."

"Thank you for your business." Gold thanked as he handed Nicholas the potion.

"One last thing before we go." he interjected, "I caught a whiff of Regina's perfume when I walked in. What did she come by for?"

"Let's just say your sister stopped by looking for some reading material, and leave it at that, Mr. Flamel." Gold replied causing Nicholas to groan in aggravation.

"Oh, great." he grumbled as they turned to leave.

"So, uh," Gold said as they headed towards the door, "What happens when you try and cross the border?"

"You lose your memory of everything of our old lives." Nicholas informed, "Looks like we're stuck here."

"So what did Gold mean by Regina looking for reading material?" David asked as they walked through the streets.

"Sigh, it means my sister has gotten desperate." Nicholas replied as he poured the potion over the hat and followed. Fortunately, Jefferson was just around the corner stuck in his flip car covered with debris.

"You okay?" Nicholas asked as he helped him out.

"Yeah, thanks." Jefferson nodded.

"Good, now we can talk." David informed.

"I don't have anything to say in front of him." Jefferson sneered at Nicholas.

"Fine." he said curtly, "You handle him. I'll head over to the meeting and give Red a hand."

As soon as Nicholas made it to his destination, he found his sister drunk on her newly regained powers with a fire blazing behind her and a terrified crowd in front. "What do you want?" Red asked.

"Me." Henry said from the crowd, "She wants me. I'll come with you."

"That's my boy." Regina smiled. Suddenly, Henry slid back over to Red causing everyone to gasp. Some of them quickly realized that it was Nicholas who did this and cleared the way for him.

"You will do no such thing, young man." Nicholas said as he stared down his sibling, "Enough is enough. Stand down, Regina."

"I don't recall asking for your input, little brother." Regina said as she tossed a fire ball at him. Nicholas didn't even batt and eyelash as he made a small wall from the floor block the attack.

"Folks, you may want to clear the room. The Mills siblings are about to have a little spat and you don't to find yourselves in the crossfire." Nicholas warned, only Red and Henry stayed behind.

"I think it's time I remind you who's the big sibling around here." Regina snarled as he hands filled with fire. Nicholas used his alchemy to make a lance from the marble floor; with an impressive twirl showing his skills, he said three words that sent chills down Red's spine.

"Bring it on."

"Stop it! Both of you!" Henry cried before the fighting began, "Uncle, I'm going with her."

"But, Henry-"

"She's not going to stop unless I go with her." he reasoned. He then went to his mother's side and let her wrap an arm around him.

"See at dinner tonight, brother dear." Regina wickedly smirked as she poofed them away.

"Sigh…She's just like our mother." Nicholas sighed.

"We need to find David." Red said. The two of them ran out of the building and found David chasing after Jefferson. "David, Regina has Henry." Red informed.

"But he has the way!" he stressed as they tried to stop him.

"She has Henry and she's threatening everyone." Red warned.

"She has Henry?" David asked calming down.

"That's what she's been saying." Nicholas replied, "She showed up at the town meeting-which you missed. Not to mention her magic's back. Everyone is in a panic. They want to leave town. They're going to lose everything. Am I getting through to you yet?"

"Okay. Okay, but I have to go after him first." David relented, "He's my only hope of finding a way to get Emma and Snow back."

"Back to what?" Red asked, "This town is about to come apart. You gotta do something."

 **OUaT**

In the king's castle, Cora and Flamel walked into Regina's new room and saw her in her beautiful wedding dress. "Oh, Regina," Flamel said with a sad smile, "You look amazing."

"What's this?" Cora asked as she looked at a tall gift.

"I don't know. A gift." Regina replied, though she was clearly lying.

"Maybe it's a portrait." Cora guessed as she took off the wrapping. Turns out the gift was a tall looking glass. "Oh, a looking glass. Not nearly as personal. I wonder sometimes if the people really love you."

"I'm doing my best, Mother." Regina said sadly.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry." Cora apologized sincerely, "Come here. Nicholas, you too." she said as all three of them stood before the mirror. "Look at the two of you, with your whole lives ahead of you, and it's going to be better than you can imagine."

"What is she getting at?" Nicholas asked in his mind.

"The king's not a strong man. The kingdom will be yours." Cora explained to Regina, "Raise the tributes, form a personal guard, let everyone know where the new power lies, and you'll hold the hearts of your people in your hands."

"Is that what you would do, Mother?" Regina asked.

"That's exactly what I would do, yes." Cora chuckled.

"Well, the thing is I don't want to be you." Regina said before attempting to push Cora through the mirror; only Cora anticipated this and froze Regina in her tracks.

"What are you doing?" Cora asked, "You think it's that easy to get rid of me? Your stuck with me forever, darling, because I'm your mother, and I know best."

As she said this, Rumplestiltskin appeared in the mirror and made a pushing gesture behind Cora. In a burst of will and anger, Regina cried out as she pushed Cora into the mirror. Cora held on to the frame as it tried to pull her in; Flamel looked absolutely shocked at what he was seeing.

"Nicholas," Cora begged while holding on, "Sweetheart, help me."

"Nicholas, don't." Regina pleaded, "She's ruined my life. Don't let her do it anymore."

"B-b-but…" Flamel stuttered.

"Nicholas, please." Cora begged, "The two of you need me. I'm your mother."

"Don't listen to her!" Regina shrieked.

Flamel looked back and forth between his mother and sister; he didn't know what to do. He had had enough of listening to the voices in his head before, now that they were gone, he didn't want to hear anymore pointless squabble. On one hand, he wanted to help his mother. Despite her methods in parenting, he still loved her and didn't want to go through years and years without her in his life again.

On the other hand, he knew what she had done to his sister whom he loved dearly and knew if she stayed, Regina could possibly become worse than he already feared. He knew what he had to do.

"I'm sorry." he muttered as he looked to the one he would have to betray, "I love you, Mother." he said as his alchemy created a column from the floor which pushed Cora through the frame. As soon as she was through, the mirror shattered. Flamel didn't want to stay a minute longer. He used his alchemy to liquefy the floor beneath him, and fell through it to the floor below.

 **OUaT**

Along the road which led to the town line, cars belonging to the town's residents piled up as they tried to leave. "Oh, no." Red muttered as she, David and Nicholas rode alongside them.

"They're nearly to the town line." David realized.

"I'm on it." Nicholas calmly reassured. He then opened the car door, leaned out as they continued to drive, grazed his fingertips against the road and used his alchemy to erupt a wall right on the border surrounding the town. "Problem solved." he said evenly.

"He's so hot~!" Red squealed in her head. David then steered the car in front of the lead car, everyone in their cars came out and shouted in protest.

"Get out of the way!" Archie shouted, "We have a right to go!"

"Listen to me!" David shouted, "Listen! If you cross that line, you're gonna be lost. Everyone who loves you will lose you. But there's something worse. You'll lose yourself. Look, I get wanting to leave here. I do. And I get that it's easier to let go of bad memories, but even bad memories are part of us. David, Storybrooke David was-is…weak…confused…and he hurt the woman I love. I wouldn't give up being Charming just to be him. But you know what? I wouldn't make the other trade either, because that David reminds me not only of whom I lost…but of who I want to be, my strengths and my weakness. David and the Prince. I am both…just like you. You are both. The town is both. We are both.

"Stay here, and every choice is open to you. Live in the woods if you want. Hell, live in a shoe if you want. Or eat frozen burritos and write software. Let's open Granny's and the school and get back to work. I will protect you. She won't be able to hurt any of us, not as long as I'm alive. Not as long as we all come together…as we did before…as we shall do again."

It took a moment for David's words to sink in, but they seemed to do the trick. Everyone looked at him with gratitude and awe as they returned to their cars to drive back to town. "Nicely done." Nicholas praised.

"So what now?" Red asked.

"Now, I go and fetch my grandson." David replied. As Nicholas followed David with his sword in hand up to his house, he tried to reason with him.

"Okay, just let me do all the talking. The last thing Henry needs to see is his family pit against each other twice in one day." he said though David ignored him, "I know my sister and she-don't kick the-"

But David just kicked the door in and charged in blindly. "I want to see him." he demanded Regina.

"Don't kick the door in." Nicholas finished with a sigh.

"Henry, come down." Regina willingly called, "You won't be using your sword."

"Whatever you conjure, I can fight." David countered.

"She means, you won't need your sword." Nicholas corrected as his sister gently lowered it. As Henry came down the stairs, Regina went up to talk to him.

"Henry, you're gonna go with David and Uncle Nicholas." she informed gently.

"Really?" Henry asked.

"Really." Regina nodded, "I shouldn't have brought you here. I was…I don't know how to love very well. I wasn't capable of it for a very long time. But I know, I remember…that if you hold on to someone too hard, that doesn't make them love you. I'm sorry I lied to you, that I made you feel like I didn't know who you are. But I want you to be here because you want to be here, not because I forced you…and not because of magic. I want to redeem myself. Go get your things."

"Then prove it." David said as Henry went up-stairs.

"How?" she asked.

"Answer one question. Does it exist?"

"What?"

"The Enchanted Forest, our land-does it still exist?" Nicholas flatly asked.

"Yes." Regina replied, "But I have no idea how to get back there."

"Therein lies the issue, then." Nicholas sighed.

"Just make sure you take care of my son." Regina pleaded.

"Easy enough." Nicholas smirked, "I've been helping you do that for the past ten years."

Later that day, Henry and David went over to Granny's for dinner while Regina stored away her mother's spell book. As she did, she could hear the sound of a knife hitting a chopping board from her kitchen. She walked in and saw her brother wearing his apron as he was cooking.

"I know you invited me for dinner and all, but let's be honest, I've always been the better cook in the family." he said while keeping his eyes on the knife.

"What?" Regina asked.

"Wash up, I've made my special linguine and clam sauce dish. Oh, and I got a great deal on kale at the store today, so pick out the salad dressing you want from the fridge." he said with a warm and quick smile.

"I don't understand. What are you doing?"

"Making dinner." he replied showing the knife as though it were obvious, "I'm hungry, I haven't eaten all day and food tastes better when you eat it with others. Besides, sister dear. You can get pretty mopey when you're upset and I'm not just gonna let you bottle up your feelings until you break something in my house again."

"Oh, your house?" Regina asked playfully.

"Yes, my house." Nicholas chuckled.

"Funny, I seem to recall that I was the one who paid all the bills and the mortgage on this place." Regina quipped.

"Not my fault you didn't curse me with a job." Nicholas muttered as they both laughed.

Now despite the fact that his sister could easily get on his nerves and gave him reasons why he wanted to strangle her almost daily, Nicholas still loved his sister and didn't want her to face what lied ahead alone.

That's just what family does.

 **OUaT**

As Mulan and Aurora dragged Emma, Snow and Nicholas (now fully clothed after an awkward incident when he woke up) Snow finally decided to speak to them. "What is this place?"

"Our home." Mulan replied curtly as they entered the little settlement.

"It's like they're refugees." Emma commented.

"We're survivors." Mulan snapped. Snow then kneed Aurora as Nicholas cut their bonds with his claws.

"Emma, run!" Snow cried. But as they made their escape, Mulan something at Snow which sent her to the ground.

"Mary Margaret!" Emma cried as she fell to her unconscious mother's side, "What did you do?!"

"Take them to the pit." Mulan ordered.

"Like hell!" Nicholas shouted as he attacked their captors. One of the men then threw his ax at Nicholas and struck him in the head.

"Nicholas!" Emma shrieked. He stumbled a couple of steps before he yanked the ax out and healed his wound, much to everyone's shock/horror.

"I'd rather die than be bound by someone as their prisoner." he snarled, "And since I'm immortal, that ain't happening anytime soon. I am the Immortal Alchemist, Nicholas Flame-"

His speech was cut short by a sleep dart piercing his neck which sent him to the ground in a heap. Shortly after that, they were all dragged into an underground prison cell.

"Hey," Emma said as she shook her fellow captives, "Can you guys hear me?"

"Do you need help?" a woman asked from the cave's shadows.

"Who are you?" Emma asked.

"A friend." she said as she revealed her face, "My name's Cora. And that man you're trying to wake up is my son."


	12. Lady of the Lake

**Here we are, Nicholas will finally reunite with his mother. Bet you didn't expect him to be the one to finish her off with the mirror, huh? A little heads up, on the 24th I'll be heading off to college so updates won't be as common as they have been. Sorry.**

 **But until then, I'll be posting chapters as quick as I can. Shouldn't be too bad, each of these (excluding this one) have only taken me a day each to write. No promises, but I will try to get to when Cora comes to town as fast as I can; I'm really looking forward to writing that!**

 **So without further adieu, here's the next chapter. As always, I hope you enjoy it and review or PM me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

In the pit of the refugees' settlement, Emma continued to try and wake up her friend and mother. "Are you sure they're gonna be okay?" Emma asked Cora.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine." Cora reassured.

"What is this place? Where are we?" Emma asked.

"It's a little island our captors like to think of as their haven."

"Haven? From what?"

"The world's dangerous. What's left of it, anyway."

"Well, they can't keep us down here. We didn't do anything wrong." Emma argued.

"Neither did I."

"Then why are you here?"

"I'm here because of something…my daughter did." Cora hesitantly explained, "The curse that ravaged this land, she cast it."

"So you really are Regina and Nicholas's mother?" Emma asked.

"Yes. But you've nothing to fear from me. The apple fell very far from the tree." she reassured with a lie, "You're from over there, aren't you? How'd you get back?"

"Emma." Snow said as she and Nicholas regained consciousness.

"Who are you talking to-" Nicholas asked but stopped once he saw the smiling face of his mother.

"Hello, Nicholas." Cora greeted.

"…Oh, shit." he cursed under his breath.

"No." Snow whispered.

"Oh, Snow. Both of you are awake. I'm so relieved." Cora said while Snow looked her daughter in the eye.

"As bad as you think Regina is, this woman is worse." she warned.

"Oh, Snow," Cora pleaded, "Sweet Snow, please. Believe me, whatever she told you isn't true."

"Bull," Nicholas spat as he defended his friends, "You were the one who put Regina on the path that made her become the Evil Queen. You were the one who killed Daniel. Everything evil she has ever done all points back at you. The people she's killed. The lives she's ruined. The curse. All of it was thanks to you. I warned you what the consequences would be."

"Nicholas," Cora sweetly said, "Everything I've ever done has been to help you and your sister."

"Let's hear her out." Emma whispered.

"Emma." Snow snapped.

"Okay, right now we are at the bottom of a hole with no other options, and Henry is back in Storybrooke with Regina."

"Henry?" Cora asked.

"Not Father." Nicholas informed.

"My son." Emma replied, "I kind of share him with Regina and Nicholas. It's complicated."

"Don't talk to her." Snow stressed.

"Enough!" a man shouted from above as he dropped a rope, "Our leader requests an audience."

 **OUaT**

In Storybrooke, Henry walked through the streets with his uncle and grandfather as he discussed his plan. "So what's on the agenda for Operation Scorpion?" Henry asked.

"What's Operation Scorpion?" David asked.

"The code name for our mission to find Emma and Snow." he replied, "Do you prefer Viper? That was my second choice."

"Henry, we need to talk." Nicholas said.

"Yeah, Scorpion's better." Henry nodded misunderstanding them.

"No, it's not that. It's…" David carried as Henry saw his school bus.

"I'm not coming with you?" asked Henry, "But I-I thought we were gonna find Jefferson."

"I already did." David replied.

"What? Is he gonna help us?"

"No." Nicholas sighed, "No, Henry, he's not."

"But why didn't you guys tell me you talked to him?"

"Because we didn't want to disappoint you." David replied, "We know you want to find your mom, but Jefferson can't help us. I need to find a way to restore the hat."

"So why can't I help you look?" Henry asked.

"It'll require magic, Henry, and magic-"

"Always comes with a price." the boy finished, "I read the book, you know."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't let you anywhere near this stuff." David apologized.

"Look, if you really want to help us, you'll go to school, where we know you'll be safe. Okay?" Nicholas asked.

"Okay." Henry nodded.

"And no more ditching!" Nicholas called as Henry walked away. Little did he and Charming know, as soon as their backs were turned, Henry ran off.

 **OUaT**

"Why can't you just listen to me?" Snow asked Emma with a sigh.

"Why couldn't you have just trusted me?" Emma countered, "I was just trying to find a way to get us home. I could've handled her."

"Puh!" Nicholas scoffed with humor, "Yeah, right. You could've handled my mother? That's rich." he laughed.

"We've lived here, Emma." Snow reminded, "We know this world and its dangers."

"Wait here." said the guard as he fetched his leader.

"Is that why you two came through the portal?" Emma huffed, "Because you thought I was helpless here?"

"No." Snow replied, "I came here to be with you."

"Well, I actually came here because I got hit with a desk when I tried to pull you guys back in." Nicholas bluntly corrected, "But you guys are my friends, I've got your backs."

"Lancelot?" Snow asked as she saw the dark skinned knight emerge from his hut.

"Snow." he said as they both laughed and hugged each other, "If I'd known that you were the prisoners Mulan brought back, I never would've locked you away."

"Lancelot?" Emma flatly asked, "Really?"

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming." Nicholas muttered.

"He's an old friend. We can trust him." Snow reassured.

Off to the side, Mulan and Aurora were having a chat of their own. "Why is he embracing them?" Aurora asked, "They were responsible for Phillip's death."

You're new here, Aurora. Phillip trusted Lancelot. So must we." Mulan explained.

"I want justice." Aurora demanded.

"Tread carefully." Mulan warned, "It's dangerous to confuse vengeance with justice. Do you understand me?" she asked only to see the princess ignore her, "Do you understand me?"

"Yes." she replied while clutching onto the dagger she had hidden in her cloak.

"What the hell is that?" Emma bluntly asked as she looked at what her hosts were serving.

"That is chimera." Lancelot replied, "An acquired taste, but all our hunting party could bring back. One part lion, one part serpent, one part goat."

"Like Turducken?" Emma asked.

"I'll just stick with the fish." Nicholas informed, "Not to disrespect your generosity. It's just that as an alchemist, I'm not overly fond of the multiple genetic cross-breading of animals." he said before biting the head off a trout.

"No disrespect taken." Lancelot replied.

"I don't understand. We were told this land didn't even exist anymore." Snow explained, "How did you all escape the curse?"

"It is a mystery." replied Lancelot, "The curse struck, and when the smoke cleared, most of us had been torn from this land. But some of us here, in this particular region, were left behind. We don't know how and we don't know why. Finding this safe haven wasn't easy. It took some spilt blood. But worry not. You're safe here."

"We can't stay." said Snow, "My husband's back there, Emma's son, Nicholas's nephew, my grandson. We have to get back to them. Can you help us find a portal?"

"Leaving is unwise." Lancelot argued, "The Enchanted Forest is not as you remember it. The ogres have returned."

"Oh, terrific. Ogres." Nicholas said sarcastically.

"Ogres?" Emma asked, "Like as in fee-fi-fo-fum?"

"Those would be giants." Snow gently corrected.

"Yeah, ogres are just, well…a hell of a lot worse." Nicholas added.

"Indeed. That's why we live here, on this island where it's safe." Lancelot added, "Please, Snow, stay here. There are no more portals left."

"I might know of one." Snow informed.

"Oh, yeah. We could try that." Nicholas agreed as he realized what Snow was thinking.

"Where?" Lancelot asked.

"Cora's near. I don't feel comfortable voicing my plans. She's powerful."

"Not anymore."

"Come again?" Nicholas asked while taking out his pipe.

"The curse stripped her of her powers. But given her reputation, we've kept her locked up as a precaution."

"Nevertheless, I'm not taking chances." Snow replied, "Just trust me. I may have a way. Let us go."

"I'll allow it, but on one condition; take my bravest warrior with you. Allow Mulan to defend you."

"We can defend ourselves." Emma argued.

"Deal." Nicholas and Snow agreed.

"Thank you, Lancelot. For always looking out for me." Snow said gratefully.

Mulan then showed them a chest filled with weapons so they'd be ready for the journey ahead. "Choose wisely." she advised, "We must be vigilant if we hope to survive the journey."

"Where's my gun?" Emma asked as she put a knife in her boot while Snow grabbed a broadsword, a bow and a quiver filled with arrows. Nicholas chose two hunting knives and an infantry sword.

"Is it magic?" Mulan asked as she inspected the revolver.

"Depends on who's pulling the trigger." Emma remarked with an outstretched hand.

"Follow my lead, step where I step, do exactly as I say, and we might survive." Mulan ordered.

"Pft, speak for yourself. I have a 100% chance at survival." Nicholas smirked.

"How did you survive that attack?" Mulan asked, "Are you skilled in the dark arts?"

"Skilled, yes. In the dark arts, no." Nicholas replied putting his knives in his belt and his sword around his waist. "I'm an immortal alchemist. What you saw was alchemy at its most powerful. Though the cost to achieve it was severe."

"Was it worth it?" Emma asked.

"Absolutely not." Nicholas replied without hesitation, "But it has proven helpful over the years. It'll be a big help if we have a run in with any ogres."

"Doesn't sound too hard." Emma shrugged, "I did kill a dragon last week."

"Have you ever seen an ogre?" Mulan asked harshly.

"Pretty sure I've dated a few." she dryly joked.

"Legend has it that when they kill you, the last thing you see is yourself dying in the reflection in their eyes. They leave no survivors."

"No survivors?" Nicholas asked with a sly grin, "Then where does the legend come from, I wonder?"

"Let's walk. It'll be dark soon." Mulan huffed.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen is how you kick unproven legends in the ass with simple logic." he said aloud causing Emma and Snow to laugh.

"Don't let her rattle you." Snow said to Emma as they made their way out of the settlement. As they did, Aurora tailed them from a distance. "Just stick to the plan."

"What is the plan?" Emma asked, "You haven't told me anything. What's going on?"

"The wardrobe." Snow whispered.

"Wardrobe. The wardrobe?" Emma gasped, "Like, the wardrobe that sent little baby me to Maine? You think it could get us back to Storybrooke?"

"I don't know. First we have to see if it survived the curse, then we'll worry about making it work."

"Where is it?"

"My place." Snow replied with a happy smile, "You wanna see where you're from, Emma? That's right. We're going home."

Later that day, the four travelers eventually came to an open clearing. "We'll make camp here for the night." Mulan informed, "We just need to find water, collect some firewood."

"Uh, if we're hiding from ogres, shouldn't we maybe, I don't know, not start a fire?" Emma interjected.

"Ogres are blind. They hunt by sound alone." Snow replied.

"Right. Because that's something everyone would know about ogres." Emma remarked.

"Look, I know you're out of your element-"

"I'm fine." Emma cut off.

"I know, but maybe you should just stay here while we get wood and water, guard the campsite." Snow offered.

"You mean the big, empty clearing?" Emma asked.

"It's the safest place. We'll be right back." Nicholas reassured as he, Snow and Mulan left Emma. Later that night, Snow was getting the firewood set up for Nicholas to ignite when suddenly, Aurora snuck up behind her with a knife at her throat.

"Don't move." She growled, Nicholas did nothing because he knew his friend could handle herself. "Phillip's gone because of you."

Not a second later, Snow flipped the princess over her shoulder and pinned her to the ground. "And so, Snow White the Bandit Princess makes a comeback." Nicholas sighed as he began to smoke and watch the one-sided struggle.

"You listen to me, princess!" Snow spat, "You think I don't know what it's like to be separated from the people that I love? What happened to Phillip was not our fault. So I suggest you find a way to channel your anger."

"Don't talk to her like that." Mulan said as she pulled Snow away and had herself thrown aside by Nicholas in turn.

"Get your hands off her." he growled.

"She tried to kill me." Snow defended.

"I will deal with her." Mulan snapped just before the sound of a gunshot echoed through the forest.

"Oh, great." Nicholas growled as he smacked his face and dragged his hand down it in irritation.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Snow asked.

"Protecting you." she replied as she pointed her gun at Mulan, "Drop the weapon!"

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Snow asked fearfully as the trees rustled and roared.

"Ogres?" Emma asked.

"Ogres." Nicholas nodded.

"Run!" Snow shouted. As they all ran into the woods, each of them split up; Mulan with Aurora, and Snow with Nicholas and Emma. Unfortunately, Emma tripped and fell giving the ogre the chance to try and eat her. But Snow gave a sharp whistle which directed the ogre's attention to her and Nicholas.

"Back away from my daughter!" she shouted as she readied her bow and Nicholas his sword. In a blur, Nicholas managed to get behind the ogre and sliced both of its ankles in a single clean cut sending it to the ground as Snow shot it in the eye.

"What the hell, Nicholas?!" Snow exclaimed, "I totally had that thing!"

"Me?!" he asked, "I was the one who took it down and got the first blow! You ruined my kill!"

"When was the last time you two used a sword and shot an arrow?" Emma asked.

"Twenty-eight years ago." they replied, "Guess it's like riding a bike."

"Yeah, but how did you know you could take it down that easily?"

"We didn't." they replied casually, "Next time, listen to me." Snow pleaded.

"Guns won't do you much good in these parts." Nicholas informed as he pulled out his pipe, " _Ride 'em in, Rawhide!_ " he sang with humor as they met up with the others and continued on their way.

"We're here." Snow declared as they caught sight of the ruins which was once her home.

"Is that it?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. We're home." Snow said in nostalgia.

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke, Henry decided to seek out Jefferson himself; only when he found him, things didn't go as he had hoped. So he decided to take matters into his own hands and look for answers in his mother's vault; unfortunately for Henry, what he thought was a box filled with answers contained a two headed viper wanting to make a meal out of him.

Thankfully, Nicholas and David were also there and managed to shut the box with the snake in it. "Maybe we should've gone with Operation Viper." David commented, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Henry nodded as his uncle helped him up, "How'd you guys know I was down here?"

"Your mom said you asked her to lunch, and when you stood her up, she checked her office, saw her keys missing, figured out the rest." Nicholas explained, "She would've come herself, but she didn't think you'd go with her. Henry, what were you thinking?"

"I just want them back." Henry replied, "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I should be over there with them, riding horses, learning how to swordfight."

"Oh, kid," Nicholas sighed in his head, "Life's not always going to be like a fairytale. Living here or there doesn't change that."

"It's okay." David soothed, "Because we are gonna do this together."

"That's right." Nicholas nodded, "But first, you got to go to school." he said as they all walked out, "Oh, by the way, you lost your T.V. privileges for the weekend."

"What?!" Henry whined.

"I told you no ditching and you ditched." Nicholas reminded calmly yet stern, "Unless you want to make it longer, I suggest you don't whine about it."

"Yes, Uncle Nicholas." he grumbled.

"Good boy."

 **OUaT**

Soon the party made it to the castle and made it to Emma's old nursery; luckily, the wardrobe was still there. "Oh, my God." Emma sighed, "I recognize this from Henry's book."

"We'll stand watch at the gate." Mulan said giving the mother and daughter some space.

"I never thought I'd see this place again." Snow said in sad nostalgia, "This was to be your nursery."

"I lived here?" Emma asked.

"You never even got to spend a night. This is the life I wanted you to have." Snow admitted, "I was going to teach you how to walk in here, how to talk, how to dress for your first ball. You never got to do any of it…we never got to be a family."

At each word she said, Nicholas felt a painful surge of guilt in his stomach as he stared out the window.

"We have a family-in Storybrooke." Emma flatly reminded, "And right now they need us to get back there. So how do we get this to work?" she asked pointing at the wardrobe, "There an on switch?"

"It's more complicated than that." Nicholas retorted, "We'll have to get it back to the island. Hopefully, someone there has access to enough magic to make it work again."

"How are we gonna carry this thing?" Emma skeptically asked.

"With the help of an old friend." Lancelot relied as he surprisingly entered the nursery.

"Lancelot. What are you doing here?" Snow asked.

"We heard about the ogre attack, and I had to make sure you were alright."

"Where are Mulan and Aurora?" Nicholas asked.

"I sent them to find food." Lancelot replied, "Tonight we'll make camp, and in the morning we'll head back. So…this is it. The portal you were after."

"Same one Emma went through." Snow nodded, "It's how she escaped the curse. Geppetto carved it from an enchanted tree, but there's no magic left."

"A portal this powerful…there must be another way to recharge it."

"Why are you so interested in the wardrobe?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, I just want you to get home to your husband and son. Henry. They must miss you." Lancelot replied as Snow and Nicholas quickly whipped out their swords and pointed them at the knight.

"Stay away from him, Emma." Snow ordered, "He is not who he says he is."

"What are you talking about? Who the hell is he?" Emma asked.

"There's only one person you told Henry's name." Nicholas reminded, "Nice try. But when you want to impersonate someone, you don't to make even the simplest of mistakes…Mother."

Lancelot was then shrouded in a puff of smoke before Cora revealed herself. "Ah, that's my boy." she praised, "Always the deductive one. So clever and shrewd."

"Where's Lancelot?" Snow asked.

"He's dead. I killed him a long time ago." Cora replied as though it was nothing.

"And you've been posing as him ever since."

"Well, they'd never listen to me." Cora reasoned, "And besides, every kingdom needs a hero, don't you think?" she asked before pinning Snow and Nicholas to the wall with her magic while Emma was tossed aside.

"Thank you, Snow. I've been looking for a way over for so long. I never thought the person to help me find it would be you and my son."

"Why?" Nicholas choked, "Why are you doing this?"

"I wanted to see you and your sister." Cora replied, "It's been too long. And you know, I would love to meet my grandson Henry."

"No, you won't!" Emma grunted as she set the wardrobe ablaze.

"No!" Cora shouted as she tried to toss the fire at Emma. Thankfully, Nicholas's alchemy was faster and was able to make a wall in time. "We're not done." she warned before teleporting away.

"You guys okay?" Emma asked.

"You saved us." Snow breathed.

"Yeah, well…where is she?"

"Gone." Nicholas replied, "Mother was always one for the dramatics. Now you two know where my sister and I get it from."

"And now our ride home's up in flames." Emma commented as she watched the tree burn.

"Mulan's not gonna be happy when we tell her my mother killed Lancelot." Nicholas pointed out, "Well, more unhappy than usual."

"I already know." Mulan said as she and Aurora entered the room, "We saw what happened just before Cora disappeared."

"Nice timing." he said dryly.

"He was one of the most noble knights I ever knew." Snow said wistfully.

"How could I be so blind? How could I not see that it was Cora?" Mulan asked in anger.

"Well, to be fair, the whole shape-shifting thing threw us, too." Emma offered.

"What are we going to tell the people on the island?"

"The truth. That Lancelot was cut down by a terrible villain. He died an honorable death." Snow said on behalf of her friend, "No offense, Nicholas."

"None taken." he shrugged, "Though, Cora's still out there. And if I know my mother as well as I think I do, she'll make another appearance real soon."

"We need to find her. We need to defend what's left of the kingdom." Mulan stressed.

"And who's going to lead us? You?" Aurora asked skeptically.

"No. Them." she said looking at Nicholas and Snow.

"No chance in Hell." he bluntly shot down while taking a smoke.

"I'm honored," Snow said a bit more gently than Nicholas, "But the three of us still have to find a way back to Storybrooke."

"We'll help you." Mulan offered, "We'll find a way, won't we?"

"Yes." Aurora nodded, "Perhaps it'll help me channel my anger."

As they were about to leave, Emma began to speak with her mother. "Uh, Nicholas, could you give us a minute?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure." he waved off, "One of us should have a nice talk with their mother today, right?" he joked.

 **OUaT**

In Emma's Bug back in Storybrooke, Henry watched the happy reunion between Jefferson and his daughter. His train of thought was quickly broken when he saw his uncle and grandfather standing outside the window.

"Your uncle and I have been thinking," David said as he rested his head on the window, "If you're gonna start helping us, we gotta make sure we do this right. So we picked these up earlier." he said as he presented Henry with three wooden swords.

"Seriously?" Henry asked with excitement.

"Yeah, you're the grandson of a prince. I think it's about time you learned how to use a sword. Henry, we can't them back without you." David admitted.

"So?" Nicholas asked happy that things between him and his nephew were getting good again, "What do you say? You with us?"

"Can you teach me how to fight a dragon?" Henry asked with a grin.

"We'll work our way up to it." David negotiated as Henry came out of the car, "My liege." he bowed.

"Who knows, Charming. Maybe we'll be able to make a swordsman out of you, too." Nicholas joked as he grabbed his sword.

"Excuse me?" David asked with a smirk, "No offense to you, _Flamel_. But I think my skills can beat that of an alchemist's."

As he said this, he blinked for just a second and as his eyes opened, Nicholas had his wooden sword pointing up and David realized his toy was missing. "What the? Where's my sword?" he asked only to see the alchemist point up.

As he and Henry looked up, they saw the toy sword spinning in the air as it fell back down and smoothly landed in Nicholas's free hand. He then gave an impressive display of duel wielding with several twirls before offering his friend his sword.

"You were saying?" Nicholas smugly but with a playful attitude, "En garde." he said.

As the three boys bonded over their little game, a man wearing a suit spied on them suspiciously. Though he mainly focused on watching David.


	13. Alchemy Wolf

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters. Enjoy.**

Deep in the mines of Storybrooke, the seven dwarves, Nicholas and David swung their axes hoping to mine diamonds for the fairies to convert into Fairy Dust. Henry watched as they all sweated and chipped away at the walls; although, he had a hard time taking his eyes off of his uncle's tattoo.

Red found herself doing exactly the same, obviously for different reasons, once she came down with a basket of food; she was even nice enough to give Henry a muffin. "Did they find any Fairy Dust yet?" she asked Henry.

"No, not yet." Henry glumly admitted, "But they will, and when they do, we'll figure out a way to get Mary Margaret and my mom back."

"I'll be back later with lunch." she said as she left. As he watched her walk away, Nicholas felt butterflies flutter in his stomach and his heart pound inside his chest.

With a deep gulp, he dropped his ax, grabbed his shirt and said to his friends, "Wish me luck, boys. I'm gonna need it." before going after the beautiful were-wolf. As Red exited the mines, Nicholas was hot on her tail (no pun intended) after dressing himself.

"Red," he called, "Red, wait up."

"Hey. What is it?" she asked as the alchemist approached her.

"Uh…" he trailed as he began to lose his nerve, "Uh…"

"Boy, that mine dust must've filled your head up, huh?" she teased.

"Uh, Ruby-or do just go by Red now?" Nicholas asked as he began to ramble, "I mean, I think both suit you, it's just between here and there-"

"Nicholas," Red interrupted as she smiled at his rambling, "You can call me whatever you want. Ruby or Red works just fine."

"He's so cute when he's like this." she commented in her head.

"Okay then, uh, Ruby…wouldyouliketogooutonadatewithme?" he asked quickly as his face flushed.

"Say that again. Just a little slower, please?" she laughed.

"Would you like to go out on a date with me?" he asked again no less red, "I promise it won't be Granny's."

"Yeah." Red nodded, "I'd love to."

"Really? Great!" Nicholas cheered happily, "I'll pick you up at 7:30. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." Ruby replied, "See you tonight."

Nicholas could only stare at the brunette as she walked away (with a little extra sway in her hips) and smile widely. He even went as far as jumping up and clicking his heels together because he was so happy. As he rejoined David and the dwarves, they all waited for him to tell them what happened. Though he knew this and decided to leave them hanging while he got back to work.

"Don't leave us hanging, Flamel!" Leroy exclaimed, "How'd it go?!"

"…She said yes. I got a date tonight!" Nicholas cheered.

As the day went on, Nicholas spent most of it helping the dwarves in the mines while David and Ruby helped Gold track down Belle after her father had her kidnapped. About an hour before their big night, the two love birds made themselves presentable (and sexy for the other). Wearing Graham's leather jacket over a dark red polo with black jeans, Nicholas walked down Main Street with a bouquet of roses in his hand.

As he made his way up Ruby's porch, said girl spotted him through her window and quickly inspected her hair and fixed her black V-neck dress; hey, she had been dreaming of this night for years. If she was going to have it go the way she wanted, she was going to use her girls to their full extent. With a knock on the door, she took a deep breath and opened the door with a sexy pose.

"Wow." Nicholas breathed. To be honest, she was about to say the same thing but decided to keep her cool.

"I know." she teased.

"Uh, these are for you." he stuttered as he revealed the roses from behind his back.

"Oh," she cooed, "That's so sweet. Thanks, Nicholas." she said taking in their scent and setting them on the table.

"Game of Thorns' finest." he said blushing.

"So what does the Immortal Alchemist have planned for us this evening?" Red asked as she looped her arm with his.

"Well, I promised you something other than Granny's." Nicholas reminded, "How do you feel about Chinese food?"

"I say, Gung Hay Fat Choy." Red replied cheerfully causing Nicholas to look at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Gung Hay Fat Choy. It means let's go eat in Chinese." Red replied.

"No, it doesn't." Nicholas debated.

"Yes, it does."

"Ruby, I speak perfect Chinese. Gung Hay Fat Choy means 'Happy New Year' in mandarin." Nicholas corrected.

"It does?" she asked, "Wait, how do you know Chinese?"

"Remember that kingdom I told you about where I was a slave? Well, our realms version of China was close to it so my master often dealt with them for resources for his alchemy experiments. One thing led to another and I eventually picked it up. It's basically a formal version of Chinese here."

"Huh. I didn't know we had a version of China in our realm." Ruby said in surprise.

"You'd be surprised if you knew all the alternate versions of the nations in this land that are over in ours." Nicholas informed, "Don't even get me started on our version of Canada and Mexico."

"What's there?"

"Let's just say, I could have gone without meeting Don Quixote and a heard of talking moose." Nicholas said flatly with a dry look, "Oh, look. We're here." he said as they approached the only Chinese restaurant in town.

"You know I have actually never eaten here." Ruby pointed out, "Yeah, Granny wasn't really that fond of letting me eat at the 'competition'."

Inside the restaurant, Ruby looked at the setting happily. She was enjoying her Mongolian shrimp and chicken while Nicholas munched on his General Tso chicken. "So let me get this straight. One of the waiters does a what now?" Red asked as she laughed.

"I'll show you. Hey, Lee." Nicholas said to the manager, "Go get James, Ruby hasn't seen his Eddie Murphy impression."

"I will be right back." Lee said with a grin. A minute later, he came back with the only black waiter in the restaurant.

"Hey, Nicholas." James greeted, he surprisingly had a high pitched voice, "Sup, man. How you doin?"

"Just enjoying a night with a lovely lady." he replied causing Ruby to blush, "This is actually her first time eating here, so she has yet to see your Eddie Murphy impression."

"Oh, you mean," James said before saying, "Your momma got teeth on the back of her neck; the bitch be eating like this." he said as he cocked his head back causing everyone to laugh.

"Hercules, Hercules, Hercules." he laughed as he clapped.

"What is Haircles?" Lee asked.

"What?" James asked looking at his friend/boss, "It's not Haircles, it's Hercules."

"Haircles." Lee tried again.

"Hercules." James corrected flatly.

"Haircles."

"Hercules."

"Haircles."

"Hercules!"

"Haircles!"

"Herc-u-les!"

"Hair-cl-es!"

"Does this always happen?" Red asked grinning.

"Why do you think I asked them to come over here?" Nicholas replied as he held her hand as they watched the argument.

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?!" James asked loudly and slowly.

After the little argument, Ruby and Nicholas continued to enjoy their date. They eventually found their way walking on the beach hand in hand. "So…tell me something about yourself that I don't already know." Red said swinging her shoes in her free hand.

"Um…Nicholas Flamel isn't actually my real name." he admitted.

"Really?"

"Really." he nodded.

"What is it, then?" she asked.

"Well…I don't know. I can't remember it. When I finally got back home, nobody would tell me what it was."

"Why not?"

"I have no idea. First thing I did when one of the maids asked me who I was, I said, 'My name is Nicholas Flamel. I'm Cora and Henry's son.' I guess they heard me and that's what they've called me ever since."

"If it makes you feel better, I think the name Nicholas Flamel suits you." Red commented, "And Red isn't my real name, either."

"I kinda gathered that." Nicholas playfully muttered in her hair.

"What gave it away?" she asked, "Yeah, it's actually Eliza. Eliza Lucas."

"Huh. Never would have guessed Eliza."

"Now you know why I go by Red and Ruby."

"Something tells me my real name is probably something lame." Nicholas remarked.

"Oh, come on. If you were able to come up with something as cool as Nicholas Flamel, it can't be that bad." Red shrugged.

"Well, actually, I didn't come up with it." Nicholas admitted.

"Who did?"

"…Somebody I thought I knew." he mumbled, "But besides that, I think Red and Ruby suit you pretty well, too."

"This isn't where you try some cheesy lines and compare my name to something romantic, is it?" Red asked playfully.

"Well, that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you can keep your legs from feeling like jelly after you hear what I have to say." Nicholas replied before whispering in her ear. It wasn't anything dirty, but it was certainly smooth and romantic.

"Oh," Red breathed shakenly, "Wow…Nicholas, would you mind if you carried me on your back? I feel dizzy."

"If milady insists." he laughed before he scooped her up and draped her over his shoulder.

"No!" she screamed as he spun her around, "Put me down! Put me down!"

"Not a chance!" Nicholas laughed before he finally fell to the ground with Ruby landing on his chest. As the were-wolf knocked the wind out of him, Nicholas laughed and held her close to him as she laughed with him.

And before he could do anything else, Ruby leaned in and quickly kissed him. As she parted from him, they stopped laughing. Ruby looked afraid that went too far; course, those fears were dashed away as Nicholas pulled her back into an even more heated make-out session.

Ruby moaned into it as they rolled around in the sand. It took several minutes for them to finally stop for breath; practically thirty years of attraction had been built up, they were planning on getting at least some of it out.

"Say, Ruby," Nicholas began as she snuggled into his chest.

"Hmm?" she hummed.

"Do you think…maybe…you and I can be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"What do you think?" Ruby asked before kissing his cheek and snuggling even further as they laid under the stars.

 **Anybody get the references made at the restaurant? There were two of them and one of them belongs to Disney. Sorry this took so long, for some reason I had a hard time with this one. I'll try to get the next two out as quick as I can before I move into my dorm this Wednesday. Hope you enjoyed this and stay tuned.**


	14. The Doctor

**Alright, folks. Here's the next chapter. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this story. While I wish I could spend a lot more time working on it, college is just two days away. Eeep! But I will continue this story when I can, I make no promises on when the chapters come out, but I can promise you this, I do not abandon my stories. I may lose inspiration and not write anything for awhile, but I don't abandon them.**

 **Well, I hope you guys enjoy this one and let me know what you think. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

"I don't know if I can do this." Aurora warned as they journeyed back to the settlement, "I'm not a very good liar."

"Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora." Snow reassured, "Lancelot did die an honorable death and Cora did escape. All true. Just leave us to the particulars. There's no reason to cause unnecessary panic amongst your people."

"I'm not so sure it's unnecessary-"

"Shh!" Nicholas hushed stopping them.

"What is it?" Emma asked as he sniffed the air.

"I smell death." he whispered drawing his sword. As they ran to the settlement, they found a massacre waiting for them. Bodies and debris littered the ground within every inch of sight.

"Oh, my God." Emma gasped.

"This can't be." Mulan denied, "Our land-we were protected here, hidden. How did the ogres find us?"

"Ogres didn't do this." Snow said. The one thing she noticed about all of the corpses were that they all had gaping holes in their chests.

"Then what did?" Emma asked.

"My mother." Nicholas answered as he leaned down to close the eyes of a dead child.

"This was her magic. Twisted and evil. We have to stop her." Snow declared.

"Too late. She killed them. She killed them all." Mulan choked.

"No, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else." Snow argued.

Nicholas could only stare at the bodies. As he did, a different sight flooded his mind. Instead of seeing the people actually before him, he countless bodies with blonde hair in robes littered across the hot sand of a desert. None of their hearts had been ripped out, but each of their faces had looks of pain and horror.

"Nicholas." Emma alerted as she shook her friend, "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, Emma." he replied, "Just thinking."

"Look. There's someone under there." Aurora exclaimed as she heard groans from under a pile of bodies.

"Please. Please help me." the man begged. He was roughly Nicholas's age with raven hair, blue eyes, a scraggly beard and only one hand. "That woman, she-" he began to say but stopped as soon as he saw Nicholas. "Oh, bugger." he sighed, "She never told me you were here, too."

"You!" Nicholas growled as he used his alchemy to trap the man similar to what he did to Regina days earlier.

"Nicholas, what are you doing?!" Emma exclaimed.

"Trust me, Emma. This guy isn't the victim you think he is." Nicholas replied as he stared him down, "Ladies, allow me to introduce you to Captain Killian Jones. Also known as," he said before pulling out a shiny hook from Killian's coat, "Captain Hook."

"…Seriously?" Emma remarked.

 **OUaT**

In his sister's lavish, new castle, Flamel was enjoying the cool spring breeze and a good book outside near the trees he and his sister grew. While she had her own apple tree, he had a plum tree; ironically, he had planted the seeds which would become said tree the day before he was taken from his home. His thoughts were interrupted once he noticed his sister walk past him.

"You're home early." he observed, "The imp not have much to teach you today?"

"No," Regina sighed, "He no longer wants to train me."

"Why?"

"I told him that I wanted him to teach me how to bring back the dead with magic." she confessed.

"Sigh…not this again." Flamel sighed as he shut his book, "Regina, I already told you, nothing in this, or any realm, is capable of bringing Daniel back. The dead can't come back to life."

"Just because alchemy can't-"

"Nothing can." he stressed, "Dead is dead, Regina. And yet…by that look in your eyes, you still don't seem convinced."

"…Well…there was this man I met today." Regina hesitantly admitted, "He's a traveler between realms."

"Jefferson?" Flamel asked, "You met Jefferson?"

"You know him?"

"I know of him. He enjoys making deals almost as much as the dark one. What did he offer you?"

"He said he'd introduce me to someone capable of bringing Daniel back. All I have to do is give him a royal passport and I can have Daniel back."

"Regina, this is a set up. No one can bring back the dead. It doesn't matter what land you come from or what deal you make. No matter the theories or methods, a dead man is still just that at the end of the day; a dead man."

"But…what if you were there?" Regina asked.

"Excuse me?" Flamel asked as his temper began to rise.

"If this wizard's magic doesn't work, maybe your alchemy can be the solution."

"Regina…you know perfectly well that I have already told you that using alchemy to bring back the dead is forbidden." Flamel reminded as he glared at his desperate sibling, "It is the highest taboo and incapable of being performed successfully."

"But, Nicholas-"

"Regina, you have my sympathies and condolences for what happened to Daniel…but you do not have my cooperation. I will have no part in this. And don't ever bring up Human Transmutation around me again." he warned as he returned to the castle.

"Bringing someone back from the dead." Flamel muttered as he looked up at the sky and walked, "What nonsense. Why anyone would want to rob a soul of such freedom is beyond me."

 **OUaT**

In his office, Nicholas stared out at his plum tree as he enjoyed a quiet afternoon smoke. In his pocket, he could feel his phone vibrate and saw that the I.D. was his sister's cell. "Hey, sis." he greeted.

"Nicholas, get over here now." Regina said in a panic.

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked rising in his seat.

"It's Dr. Whale. He's been attacked." she informed.

"By who?"

"By Daniel." Regina replied.

"…That fool." Nicholas whispered before grabbing his coat and running out the door. As he entered the hospital, he found his sister staring at the unconscious doctor through the glass frame; only, he was missing his left arm.

"Any idea why he decided to go through with the procedure a second time?" Nicholas asked not even looking at his sibling.

"One. To get on my good side so I could send him back to his land." Regina replied flatly.

"That's a tall order." Nicholas quipped, "Told you no good can come from trying to bring the dead back to life."

"Yes, but he succeeded, Nicholas." Regina whispered finally looking at him, "He brought Daniel back."

"Did he? Is Daniel back?" Nicholas asked skeptically, "I may not have known him as well as you did, Regina. But I don't recall Daniel being the type of man who would tear another man's arm out right from his socket."

"What's going on?" David asked as he join the siblings, "I got a call saying Dr. Whale had been attacked."

"You'll have to ask his doctors." Regina replied honestly.

"No. I am asking you." David snapped.

"Hey." Nicholas interjected as he pushed David's finger away from Regina, "First of all, get your finger out of my sister's face. Second of all, try listening to your only witness before accusing her and writing her off as your prime suspect."

"I came here to speak with Dr. Whale and discovered he was hurt." Regina informed the acting sheriff. It's the truth!" she stressed as she saw his skeptic look.

"What else?" David asked, "What did you come here to speak with him about?"

"…Someone from my past." Regina replied trying to control the age old pain, "I believe he's come back. Daniel. His name is Daniel."

"The man you were supposed to marry." David recalled, "Snow told me what happened, and…how it was her fault that he died. How could he be back?"

"Whale." they said indicating to the doctor.

"He believed he could bring him back from the grave, and it would appear that he was successful this time around." Nicholas informed.

"He practices something more powerful than magic, or so I was told." Regina added, "All he needed was a heart, and he took one of mine."

"You have hearts here?" David said flabbergasted.

"In my vault. From our land."

"Whose heart did he take?" David asked hotly.

"I have no idea." replied the queen, "I took so many. It was impossible to keep track. I need to go. I have to help him."

"No. Where is he?" David asked, "Look what he did. He's dangerous."

"Not to me." Regina argued, "He won't hurt anyone else, David, I promise."

"You know I can't take that chance." David stressed, "You have two choices, Regina: tell me where he is, or jail."

"I think it's like when you awoke from your coma. He's following his final thoughts to where he last met me; the stables." Regina explained.

"No." David whispered, "Henry. Henry's at the stables."

"Oh, cripes!" Nicholas shouted as they ran out to their cars. Once they finally made it to the stables, they found Daniel lifting Henry from the ground by the throat in a blind rage.

"Daniel! Let him go!" Regina cried. At the sight of his fiancé and her brother, Daniel dropped Henry giving the boy the chance to run away.

"…Oh, you poor soul." Nicholas whispered.

"You're really here." Regina said showing the happiness thought to have died out almost forty years ago. Sadly, Daniel didn't share the same feelings; he tried to lunge at Regina's throat but David was quick enough to shut the door on him.

"It won't hold for long." he warned, "Can you cast a spell to subdue him?" he asked Regina.

"No. I won't use magic on him." she refused as David readied his pistol, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"He's a monster, Regina!" David shouted, "If you and Nicholas won't put him down, I will!"

"David, please!" Regina begged as she and Nicholas tried to stop him.

"Just let her talk to him." Nicholas pleaded, "She's deserves that much at least. Don't rob her of this like Snow did!"

"It's too big of a risk. There's no telling what he'll do." David argued.

"You have to at least give me a chance!" Regina cried.

"Out of the way, you two! Now!" David cried shoving her to the ground.

"No!" she shouted getting right back up, "I won't let you hurt him! He'll listen to me! Please!" she cried fighting back the tears, "Let me talk to my fiancé."

David reluctantly nodded. He and Nicholas waited around the corner as Regina dealt with her true love. Unfortunately, despite being able to get through to him for just a moment, Regina released Daniel from his pain and turned him into dust. Nicholas couldn't bear to hear his sister cry any longer, so he came back to her and held her in his arms as she sobbed and fell to the ground, stroking her hair to comfort her.

Hours later after Nicholas took his sister to their home, Regina eventually cried herself to sleep. He continued to be at her side just in case she still needed him for when she awoke. As the day went on and Regina composed herself, Nicholas went into town to take care of his own business.

With a knock on the door, he waited for Archie to open up his office for him. "Nicholas," Archie greeted slightly surprised, "What can I do for you?"

"Could I c-come in?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, of course. My door's always open." Archie reassured as the alchemist walked in, "What can I help you with?"

"Well…I don't know if you've heard this but…Ruby and I have started a relationship."

"Oh, congratulations." he praised.

"Thank you. But before I can truly treat this relationship the way I want to…I need to deal with my past." Nicholas admitted.

"How so?"

"Well…like Regina, I, too have ghosts from my past that haunt me. I find myself dealing with them every time I fall asleep. I'm at the point where I try to stay awake for days just to avoid the nightmares."

"Oh." Archie sighed with sympathy; he may not know much about the alchemist, but he did know that he was indeed a good man.

"I want to be with Ruby; more than anything. But I want to face and control my demons, too."

"If you don't mind my asking, why have you decided to come to me now and not sooner?"

"Because I couldn't talk about my past during the curse, and I've been trying to help David and rebuild my relationship with Henry. But seeing my sister have to face Daniel like that today…I don't know if I could go through that myself."

"I see. Have you discussed this with Regina? Or Ruby, for that matter?" Archie asked.

"No. No one even knows that I'm here talking with you. I don't really enjoy talking about my past, Archie. Regina knows what happened because I explained most of it when I returned home. And I told bits of what happened to Red when I was helping her and Snow escape Regina's forces back in the Enchanted Forest."

"Why don't you explain to me what happened?" Archie suggested, "I understand you were a slave in the kingdom of Xerxes, yes?"

"Yes. For thirteen years I was a slave to the king's private alchemist. However, it was the last three that really changed my life." Nicholas explained, "It all started when I was fourteen. I had fallen asleep when I was supposed to be doing my chores. Little did I know, the very creature that would forever change my life was in that very room watching me."

"What creature?"

"The thing that would eventually give me my name, my knowledge of alchemy, and most importantly…my immortality."


	15. Child of the Moon

**Hey, everyone, I'm back! It took some time, but I finally managed to get this chapter done along with my school work (for now). As the title indicates, I skipped the bean stalk episode, mostly because I figured if I included Nicholas in it, he wouldn't have that much of a part or he'd just be taking someone else's. Anyway, this one is out and ready for you, and yes, there will be some Alchemy Wolf romance. Hope you all enjoy and bear with me on the waits for the updates.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

Granny's was filled with laughter and cheer in Storybrooke. Why? Because thanks to the hard work and dedication of the dwarves, diamonds were finally discovered in the mines; so many in fact, the fairies had enough to make more than enough fairy dust for the hat.

"To the dwarves!" David cheered as everyone hollered and drank their ales. As Ruby watched the celebration fondly, she cleared the empty booths of their plates whilst not suspecting a thing. It was at that moment that Nicholas took advantage of that twirled her before pulling her into his embrace and planting a kiss on her cheek from behind.

"Hey, beautiful." he playfully greeted.

"Hey." she greeted back, though it was lacking her usual enthusiasm.

"So, you mind telling me why a lovely lady like yourself isn't enjoying the festivities?" the alchemist asked.

"Oh, well…somebody's still got to keep things clean around here." Ruby replied, "Can't let things get too crazy."

"Ruby." Nicholas said in a warning tone.

"Alright, fine." she huffed, "Come with me." she said as she dragged him to the kitchen. As they walked in, Granny was reinforcing the door to her freezer with a blow torch.

"Are you guys that worried about people breaking in and stealing food?" Nicholas asked half-jokingly half-confused.

"No, we're making a cage." Ruby replied as she brought out a few remaining trays of lasagna, "Know anybody who might want 38 frozen lasagnas?"

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"I know. Nobody would believe it if you told them my lasagna was frozen." Granny joked.

"Actually, I meant, why are you building a cage?"

"Tonight's the first full moon since the curse broke. It's the first night of Wolfstime." Ruby replied.

"But you figured out how to control yourself as a wolf ages ago." Nicholas reminded.

"Yeah, but thanks to your sister's curse, I haven't turned in 28 years." replied his girlfriend, "I might be rusty. I can't let what happened last time, what happened to Peter, happen to anyone else."

"I see." Nicholas replied, "What about that hood of yours? It kept you from turning in the past."

"If I had it. I've looked everywhere. I even went to Gold. It's not in town. I don't even think it came over with the curse."

"Ruby, I know you. I trust you-all of our friends trust you." Nicholas reassured, "Wolfstime or not, you won't hurt anyone tonight. Hell, I'll sit right in front of this refrigerator all night if I have to; I'd even take on the appearance of a wolf myself if it'll help."

"Oh, no you won't." Granny snapped, "Last thing I need is wolf Ruby in heat the minute she sees you. I'm not old enough for great-grand kids or pups."

Needless to say, the couple felt awkward and flushed with embarrassment. "Right…" Ruby trailed, "And I can't afford to take any chances. See you in the morning, babe." she said before kissing his cheek and entering the freezer.

 **OUaT**

"Search everywhere!" Flamel shouted to his sister's knights in the forest, "My sister wants Snow White's head. If none of you are capable of doing something as simple as that, I'll bring her yours."

Truth be told, that was a lie. Flamel had no intention of killing any of his sister's subordinates, or Snow for that matter. He was actually leading them away from her and Red when he caught wind of the latest search party investigating the area he knew they were hiding out at.

But there was something different about him this time. Yes, he had interfered with Regina's hunts for Snow before. But ever since they met Red and she began to run with Snow, Flamel felt funny inside. The mere thought of the brunette made him feel butterflies in his stomach. Her eyes, her face, her smile, her hair, her smell (his senses were higher than the average man), her body.

Unfortunately, he knew that because of the recent loss of her boyfriend and his sister's reputation, he had little to no chance at being with her; that and the fact that most people weren't fond of were-wolves, which normally formed angry mobs, didn't help either.

Besides, if she knew what Flamel truly was…she'd see him as a monster too.

 **OUaT**

The next morning at the loft, Nicholas was enjoying a quiet morning with a book while Henry slept; David had received an emergency call and had to leave him behind. After he left and gave the alchemist his permission, Nicholas called over his sister to help keep an eye on the boy so to get her out of the house.

Eventually, she knocked on the door and let herself in. Nicholas smiled at her and raised a finger to his lips before pointing at his nephew. Regina silently walked over to Henry and gently brushed a few stray hairs from his forehead. It was then that Henry began to toss and turn in his sleep; he even began to cry out in pain.

"Henry?" Regina asked in concern as Nicholas went over to them, "Henry, wake up."

"It's okay. It's okay. You're okay." Nicholas soothed as the boy awoke panting.

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here? Where's David?" he asked Regina.

"He got an emergency call this morning, and your uncle asked me to help look after you." she replied, "They told me you've been having nightmares."

Henry still looked shaken from his dream so Nicholas tried to soothe him again. "Buddy, it's okay." he reassured as he gently took his hand, "You can-"

But Henry cried out in pain at the contact. "Regina, take a look at this." Nicholas said quickly as he and his sister inspected Henry's hand.

"Is that a burn?" she asked, "I'm calling Gold."

"Oh, yes," Gold nodded once he arrived and inspected Henry's hand, "You were quite right to call me."

"So you can help?" Henry asked, "It was just a dream."

"Well, what you're describing's certainly not a dream." Gold corrected.

"Then what is it?" Regina asked.

"A side effect." Gold replied snootily, "You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about."

"I think it's obvious that her victims aren't supposed to wake up, Rumple." Nicholas dryly responded, "Not like you ever cared about the repercussions to the people you've used magic on over the years."

"In any case, Mr. Flamel, when people fall under a sleeping curse, the soul travels to a netherworld where it resides until awoken." Gold informed as he prepared a potion for Henry, "Now this world is between life and death, and it's very real. However, even when the curse is broken, sometimes in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world; victims like Henry."

"This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps. I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there." Regina pleaded.

"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible." Gold replied as he filled a necklace with the potion, "I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world. And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it."

"A necklace?" Henry asked.

"You wear this while you're sleeping. Once you control the journey, the fear will stop. And then you can come and go as you please." the dark one explained as he handed the boy the necklace only to be stopped by his guardians.

"Everything comes at a price with you. What do you want for this?" Nicholas asked.

"For a house call?" Gold scoffed, "Neither of you could afford it. But this is for Henry. This one's on me."

A moment later, Nicholas's phone buzzed with a call from David. "Hey, David." he answered, "What?!" he exclaimed.

"What's the matter?" Regina asked.

"What do you mean you put her in the station's prison cell?" Nicholas asked hotly, "I don't care what she thinks, my Red is not a murderer. I'm coming over. And, David, when I get there my girlfriend better not be behind bars." he warned as he stormed out of the loft.

"…I hate it when he does that." Regina bluntly said at her brother's antics.

In the sheriff's station, Nicholas stormed in just before Ruby was about to shut the cell door on herself. "Don't you dare shut that cell, Ruby." he warned.

"Nicholas?" she asked before glaring at the prince, "Really, David? I specifically told you not to call him."

"What? Did you honestly think that I wasn't going to check on my girlfriend after leaving her in a refrigerator all night?" Nicholas asked, "Wow. That sounded really creepy and messed up. Why are you doing this to yourself?" he asked as he pulled her into a much needed hug.

"Ruby thinks she killed Billy last night after she escaped the cage." David informed.

"Billy? You mean the Tow Truck guy?"

"Yeah. We found his torso and legs separated in front of the cannery."

"Where's the body? I know a bit about performing autopsies."

"I had Whale send someone pick it up for the morgue."

"What about the crime scene photos?"

"Photos?" David asked.

"You mean you're acting as sheriff and you don't even know to take pictures of a crime scene?" Nicholas bluntly asked in disappointment as he stroked Ruby's hair.

"I'm new at this, okay?" David defensively retorted.

"I know, but we need to find whoever did this, David." Nicholas reminded.

"You already have." a man said as he entered the office. He was elderly, wore an expensive suit and had a cold, hard look on his face. In this world, he was known as Albert Spencer. In the Enchanted Forest, he was King George, the father of Charming's late twin brother and his mortal enemy.

"That thing. That she-wolf." he spat.

"Call her that again, Spencer." Nicholas growled as he held Ruby closer and his shadows aimed at the unflinching man, "I dare you."

"Get out." David ordered, "Whatever issues you have with me don't involve her. There's no proof Ruby had anything to do with what happened."

"It seems to me that you're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment." Spencer countered.

"Leave him alone!" Ruby snapped.

"Protecting your friend at the peril of everyone else. I knew you'd slip up, shepherd. It was only a matter of time."

"What do you want?" David asked.

"Justice." Spencer replied, "Hand that over to me and let the town decide her fate."

"Like hell." Nicholas snapped, "We know exactly what kind of justice you have in mind."

"This town is bigger than you think. I start telling people that you're putting their lives in danger to protect your own interests, you'll have a mutiny on your hands."

"Yeah, we'll see. You want her, you have to go through me." David warned.

"And me." Nicholas added as he joined his friend.

"I look forward to that." Spencer replied as he met their glares and left.

"You guys do realize that he'll be back with an angry mob for me, right?" Ruby asked the men.

"Oh, yeah." they nodded.

"Any ideas for where else we can hide her?" David asked the alchemist.

"Well, I'm not really one for hiding. But if Belle will let us, we can try the library for a while."

Sure enough, Belle was kind enough to let Ruby hide with her. "Thanks again for doing this, Belle. The sheriff's station isn't safe anymore." Nicholas thanked, "Uh, no hard feelings for my sister locking you up, right?"

"Well, none towards you." Belle replied, "And of course. It's not every day you find out your friend's-"

"A monster." Ruby offered.

"Ruby!" Nicholas scolded.

"Hunted. I was going to say hunted." Belle corrected.

"The crowd's six blocks from here." Granny alerted with her crossbow ready.

"You-you have wolf hearing, too?" Belle asked the innkeeper.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you run a hotel." she joked with dry humor.

"The only way we're gonna get the mob to stand down is if we prove Ruby had nothing to do with Billy's death." David explained, "Granny, I'm gonna need your help. Nicholas, you stay here and guard the doors. If the mob comes this way, call us."

"Will do." Nicholas nodded. After Ruby re-chained herself, Nicholas locked the doors from outside, crossed his arms, and looked like a total badass as he waited for George and his mob.

 **OUaT**

As she softly slept in the Enchanted Forest, Snow White suddenly awoke with a gasp as one of her step-mother's knights shook her. Before he could say anything, she reached into her satchel, pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the throat.

Snow gasped in horror at what she did as the knight, she had never killed anyone before. As he stumbled with shock on his face, his expression changed to annoyed as he yanked out the knife and looked at Snow dryly as his wound healed.

"Really, Snow? I told you I was going to look like this the other day." he said before taking on the appearance of Flamel in his usual clothes.

"Sorry, I panicked." she apologized.

"Where's Red?" he asked.

"I don't know. We were supposed to meet by the stream yesterday after we split up to get away from your search party."

"Sigh," Flamel groaned as he smacked his face, "In case you've forgotten, I have a higher sense of smell and sound than your wolf friend so I knew exactly where you two were that night."

"Oh…oops." Snow said in embarrassment.

"Yeah, 'oops,' Snow." Flamel groaned, "So you have no idea where Red is?"

"No." she admitted.

"Sigh…alright, here's what we're going to do. We are going to track Red down and get the two of you up north like we planned. Okay?" he asked.

"Okay. Where do you think she might be?"

"No clue." Flamel replied, "I have heard that there's an abandoned underground ruin of an old castle nearby. We can start there first."

Once they reached their destination, the duo ventured inside and was suddenly grabbed hold by two men dressed in fur; although, Flamel was able to easily take them both down and pin them to the ground.

"No! Don't!" Red cried as she rushed to the attackers' defense, "They're not here to hurt us!"

"…Which of us are you talking to, Red?" Flamel bluntly asked in confusion.

"What other reason do humans have for entering our den?" one of the men spat in hatred.

"They're friends who stood by me after they learned the truth, after I killed." Red explained in worry, "Without them, I never would've escaped my village alive!"

"Let them go." a woman resembling Red ordered. Not wanting to cause any unnecessary violence, Flamel let the goons up.

"Snow, what are you two doing here?" Red asked her friend.

"When you didn't show up at the stream this morning, I thought the queen's men had killed you." Snow replied as everyone aside from Flamel and Red glared at her, "So…who are your friends?"

"We're her pack." one of them spat.

"Are they…?" Snow asked.

"Yes." Red nodded, "They're like me. But you don't have to fear them."

"Of course not." Flamel dryly replied.

"How did you find us?" the woman hotly asked.

"We tracked wolf prints here, like you and Nicholas taught me. I wasn't going to leave without you." Snow said to Red.

"Why don't we go find that cabin we talked about, okay?" Flamel asked as he rose his guard; however, Red seemed reluctant to leave, "You're not coming with us, are you?"

"I don't have to be ashamed of who I am here. I found my home. I found my mother." Red chuckled happily.

"But I thought-"

"Granny lied." she snapped, "I'm sorry, guys. I know you two risked your lives to come back here for me."

"No. We understand." Snow gently agreed, "I would do anything to be with my mother again."

"If mine wasn't even more murderous than my sister and didn't scare me, I would too." Flamel bluntly nodded.

"I know we planned on leaving the kingdom together, Snow."

"I'll be alright." she reassured, "You've taught me enough already. I'll manage. Bye, Red. Thank you."

"No, thank you." Red corrected as they hugged. Just as Red was about to hug Flamel, her mother Anita pulled her away protectively as she glared at the alchemist.

"You reek of evil." she hissed as the other were-wolves growled at him.

"Mother!" Red gasped at her outburst.

"No, Red, she's right. More or less." Flamel soothed, "It's no surprise that you can smell my unique quality. Your mother was able to do so, as well."

"What are you? A demon?" Quin asked.

"No. I'm just unique." he smirked just before Anita approached him and snapped his neck only to see his injury heal. "Like I said, I'm unique. Oh, and I'm also an immortal."

"We shall see." Anita grinned wickedly.

"What?" Red asked as her mother and followers transformed, "Mother, no!" she cried as they pounced on Flamel. As the first few tried to sink their fangs into him, Flamel easily tossed them aside against the walls while Snow and Red watched from the sidelines. With a quick use of his alchemy, he was able to scare most of them off as spikes began to surround them; Red's mother, however, stayed and finally made her move.

As she leaped at Flamel, he tossed her away like all the others, only this time, she landed on one of the spikes he made which caused her to instantly return to her human form. Red came over to her mother's side in her final moments.

"You chose the humans." Anita croaked.

"No," Red denied, "I chose my friends."

As Anita gave her last breath, Red let loose the flood of tears while Snow comforted her; Flamel looked away with guilt plastered on his face. It wasn't the first time he killed, but he certainly didn't want to have the blood of the woman he cared for's mother on his hands.

 **OUaT**

While Nicholas waited for the mob, he could hear the sound a wolf howling throughout the town. "Dammit." he cursed as he ran towards the location of the howling. It took him only a few moments to find his girlfriend as a wolf in an ally hiding behind a garbage bin.

"Red," he called gently as he slowly approached her, "Baby, come on. It's okay. Sweetheart, we need to leave before George and his mob find you."

But Ruby just growled at him as she tried to back away even further. "I know what you're thinking. Right now, you think that you giving your life is going to solve everything. But, Red…that's further than the truth. If you were to do that, then I'd lose you. My worst fear is losing the people I care about. And if I were to lose you…I'd be nothing. You mean so much to me, Red." he confessed to the wolf now looking intrigued, "I know we've only been going out for a little while but it's true. I've wanted to be with you for years and it took me this long to tell you this because…because I was afraid. But ever since I looked at you smiling in your doorway on our first date, I'm not afraid anymore."

"How sweet." Spencer spat as he and his mob snuck up on the young couple. With his gun raised, he fired a bullet at Ruby only to have it miss thanks to Granny's arrow nicking it.

"The next one goes between your eyes!" she threatened.

"Listen to me!" David shouted as he moved through the crowd and stood at Nicholas's side with Red's hood in his hand, "Ruby didn't kill Billy. He did." he said looking at George, "He stole her cloak and killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like a wolf, all to get you to think I wasn't leading this town as I should. Somebody already died because of what this man did. Let's not spill anymore blood. She won't hurt anyone. She's just scared."

"She's a monster!" someone shouted.

"Call her that again! I dare you!" Nicholas shouted in anger as his shadows took form and his shield covered his arms and hands, "If you people were afraid of my sister before, you'll find that was nothing compared to what I'll do to all of you if you come any closer to her!"

He then took the hood from David and approached his girlfriend. As she saw who it was, Red slowly came out and allowed Nicholas to put the hood over her turning her back to normal. "You saved me." she breathed.

"No. All I did was remind you of who you really are." Nicholas smiled as Red threw her arms around him.

"Nicholas!" David shouted as he came over to them, "Spencer's gone."

"That coward." Ruby spat, "You up for finding him?"

"I intend to catch him!" Nicholas shouted as they ran over to the cruiser. Thanks to Ruby's nose, they quickly caught up with him standing before a fire on the beach.

"You think you can hide from a wolf?" Red asked hotly.

"I wasn't trying to hide." Spencer replied calmly.

"You killed an innocent man." David spat.

"He was a mouse." Spencer retorted.

"Still more of a man than you." Nicholas hissed, "If you want to make a deal, that's not going to happen anytime soon."

"I'm not interested in making a deal, slave." the king denied causing Nicholas to grow angrier, "I just want to see the look on your faces when you realize something."

"What's that?"

"That the Shepard is never going to see his wife or his daughter ever again."

"What are you talking about?" asked David.

"You really should be more cautious with something so valuable." Spencer lectured as he tossed the hat into the fire.

"No!" David cried as he tried to pull it out of the flames.

"It doesn't matter how much Fairy Dust you gather or how much you rally the town behind you. Your family's gone." mocked the king before David punched him to the ground and pointed his gun at him.

"David, don't." Red pleaded as the prince began to weep.

"I told you," George chuckled, "You should've killed me when you had the chance."

David could only drop his weapon and fall to his knees as Spencer picked himself up and laughed at his step-son's misery.

"Yeah, and you should've left us alone." Nicholas said breaking the king's laughter. Next thing anyone knew, he shoved his hand through Spencer's chest with a cold emotionless look on his face, completely unfazed by what he had done. Ruby and David looked at the sight in horror as the elder man spat up the blood that wasn't pouring from his chest and back. He then yanked his arm out and kicked George into the fire burning him as his life slipped away.

Nobody said anything. David and Ruby just stared at Nicholas while he watched the shocked expression on the corpse slowly burn away without a single emotion.

 **OUaT**

Under the illumination of the full moon, Red, Snow and Flamel stood before Anita's grave while Red paid her respects to her mother. "May you always run free beneath the moon's pale light. Goodbye, Mother."

"I'm so sorry, Red." Flamel apologized.

"It's okay, Nicholas. My mother made her choice. All you did was defend yourself. I don't blame you at all." she reassured.

"Come on." he said to the women.

"Where are we going?" Snow asked.

"I promised the two of you I'd take you someplace safe up North." Flamel reminded, "Never let be said that the Immortal Alchemist is not a man of his word."

"Right." they nodded as they caught up with him.

 **OUaT**

Back at the loft, David looked down at Henry as he slept while Nicholas and Ruby looked at him with sympathy. "He may never see his mother or grandmother again." he said sadly, "How am I going to break that news to him?" he asked his friends.

"You won't have to." Nicholas replied as he began to smoke, "One thing I've learned about those two, they're both too damn stubborn to be kept away from the people they care about."

"Travel between worlds is as hard as it comes." David reminded, "Fairy Dust on its own isn't enough. It took us an entire curse to get us here in the first place. Without the hat-"

"You'll find another way." Ruby reassured.

"You don't know that." he countered.

"But we know you, and we know you'll never give up until you do."

"Besides," Nicholas added, "You're not gonna be doing this alone."

"Thank you."

"Do you mind giving Granny a call?" Ruby asked.

"Sure. Why? What for?" he asked.

"I may have left Belle chained up in the library." she sheepishly admitted, "Somebody should probably-"

"Unchain her?" David asked with a smirk.

"That girl can't catch a break when it comes to being locked up." Nicholas muttered.

"Yeah. I'll take care of it. Where are you two going?" David asked.

"I've still got a few hours of wolfstime left. I want to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. Run with my boyfriend." Ruby sighed as she and Nicholas ran outside and turned into wolves.

 **OUaT**

In the Enchanted Forest after returning from the Bean Stalk expedition, Emma spotted her mother sitting on a hill in the middle of the night looking lonely. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Uh, just thinking." Snow replied.

"Come on. Mulan and Nicholas have some ideas where Cora might be hiding."

A few minutes later, Aurora awoke startled searched for her companions. "Snow! Nicholas!"

"Hey." Snow soothed as she and the alchemist came over to her, "We're here. It's okay."

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" Nicholas asked, "Was it another nightmare?"

"No, this time, it was different. There was a little boy." Aurora explained, "He…he put out the fire. He talked to me."

"A little boy?" Snow asked.

"What'd he say?" Emma asked.

"He said…he said his name was Henry." she replied shocking the trio.

 **Yep, I had Nicholas kill George. Why? Because I wanted him to show David and most importantly Red his darker side. That and seeing as that was the last appearance George had in Storybrooke, I felt like he needed a better ending. And if he ever makes another appearance in upcoming seasons...oh, well.**

 **Stay tuned for more! :)**


	16. The Queen of Hearts

**Alright, thankfully, I got through this pretty quick, which is surprising since it takes place in two episodes. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

"The boy you saw in your dream, is that him?" Emma asked Aurora as she held a pocket picture of him.

"Yes. That's Henry." she nodded.

"That's impossible." Emma denied, "It was a dream. How could you dream of my son?"

"I have no idea."

"Maybe it wasn't a dream." Snow offered, "That room, I've been there."

"When I told you about it, you didn't say anything." Aurora said hotly.

"You were terrified. I didn't want to make things worse by telling you it might be real." defended Snow.

"A room in a dream is real?" Mulan asked.

"Well, the concept of dreams being ways of traveling to different worlds could apply to this." Nicholas pondered, "Or it could just be a side effect of being under a sleeping curse. Yeah, on second thought, let's go with that."

"Of course. I went through it; Aurora went through it-"

"Henry went through it because I didn't believe in him." Emma cut off.

"Emma." Snow coaxed.

"What else have you lied about?" Aurora asked.

"I was-I wasn't lying." she defended, "I was protecting you."

"What did he say?" Nicholas asked, "Henry, in the dream?"

"He just said his name. And then I woke up, and it was over."

"Hmm…this may just work in our favor." he mused.

"How?" Emma asked, "All we have is a freaking compass and the wardrobe ashes are still with your crazy-ass mom."

"Any attempt to take them from her would be suicide." added Mulan.

"Perhaps," Nicholas nodded, "But if Aurora was able to hear what Henry had to say, we can use that room as a way to communicate with everyone back in Storybrooke. Preferably, my sister and Rumplestiltskin, if anyone over there knows what we'll need against my mother, they're our best line of defense should she succeed in getting over there before we do."

"So that means…" Aurora nervously trailed.

"Oh, yeah, princess." Emma nodded, "You're going back to sleep."

 **OUaT**

In the loft, Henry awoke with a loud gasp causing, David, Regina and Nicholas to jolt. "T-They're alive. They're alive!" he cried.

"Who? Who's alive?" David asked.

"My mom and Snow." Henry replied.

"I told you, kid. I told ya!" David cheered.

"Was it that woman you saw?" Regina asked, "Did she tell you this?"

"Her name's Aurora. She said they have a way home, but there's someone in their way; someone they need us to help them stop, someone only Mr. Gold knows how to defeat."

"Who?"

"…Your mother." Henry replied causing his uncle and mothers' hearts to stop.

"Son of a bitch." Nicholas thought gravely.

Wasting no time, the two siblings went into town and found Gold on a date with Belle at Granny's. "Gold, we need to talk." Regina interrupted.

"Do we?" he asked dryly, "Don't tell me your brother's decided to collect that favor I owe him."

"You'd wish I was." Nicholas retorted.

"Folks, I think I may need to close early." Granny informed the customers as she observed the three biggest powerhouses in town, "Uh, everybody out."

"No. It's okay." Regina eased, "We're civil."

"Yeah, for now." Rumple said sarcastically, "Belle, you remember the woman who locked you up for 28 years and her little brother."

"Uh, I should probably just get-"

"No. No. Please stay where you are." Gold relaxed, "Whatever they have to say won't be a secret from you. Whatever they want, they won't get."

"We actually came here about the one thing that might unite us." Regina corrected.

"And what on earth can that be?" he asked.

"Cora." Nicholas flatly informed, "She's coming from our land. We need your help to stop her."

"…But she was dead. You told me you both saw the body."

"Well, apparently, you taught her pretty damn well." Nicholas hotly snapped.

"She's not and she's on her way, and I don't think we need to remind you how unpleasant that would be for the three of us." Regina reminded nervously.

"For you two." Gold corrected, "I can handle Cora."

"That's not how she tells the story."

"I won in the end."

"Maybe. But there's a big difference this time." Regina reminded, "This time you have someone you care about. This time you have a weakness."

"I'm-I'm sorry. Who is this woman?" Belle asked.

"Someone you'll never meet." Gold replied, "So you say she's coming. Where is she now?" he asked the siblings.

"With them." Nicholas informed.

 **OUaT**

"How close are we?" Emma asked, "Henry could already be waiting in that Netherworld."

"No, we planned to meet back there in two hours." Aurora corrected.

"Relax, you're not going to leave him waiting." Nicholas eased.

"Yeah, but what if he's-"

"No, he was fine." Aurora reassured.

"There. That looks like relatively safe high ground." Snow pointed out, "We'll set up camp there. Aurora, you'll settle in and find Henry, get the information we need from Rumplestiltskin. We do this fast, in and out. It's still dangerous out here."

"Hey, Nicholas?" Emma asked, "Did your mother really fight with Gold?"

"I don't know about any fight," he shrugged, "But I do know they have a history together. Rumple trained my mother when she was a young miller. You remember the girl who lied about spinning straw into gold so she could marry a prince?"

"No." Emma gasped as she made the comparison.

"Yep, that was my mother." he nodded, "All I know is that in the end, they left on rough terms and competed against each other for power for years to come."

"But between the two of them, who would win?"

"Well…in the past, Gold had nothing to hold him back and neither did Cora. Now that they both have people they care about, I'd consider them both even more dangerous."

"You really think your mom would risk everything to protect you and Regina?"

"Emma, despite the horrible deeds she's committed over the years, Cora is like any mother; if someone were to hurt either of her children, there would be Hell to pay." Nicholas replied, "My mother may be eccentric, but she still has a sense of motherly love; twisted though it may be."

"Do you love her?" Emma asked causing him to stop.

"…Figure out your own issues regarding your mother and then I'll tell you how I feel about Cora." he stiffly answered before pressing on.

 **OUaT**

As Henry laid in his bed at Gold's shop, Regina and Nicholas stood at his side as she covered him with his blanket. "So Cora…she's pretty powerful?" he asked his mom and uncle.

"Yes, but not as powerful as I am." Gold replied.

"That's debatable." Regina and Nicholas scoffed.

"Actually, no, it's not." snapped the imp.

"You sure you're okay to do this, kid?" David asked.

"I was born to do this." he said bravely, "I'm done reading about heroes. I wanna be one."

"Well, sometimes being one is knowing when not to run into the fire." David explained.

"I'll be okay."

"Look, whatever he faces in there will be far less dangerous than what he'll face if we fail." Gold reminded the reluctant prince.

"I can do this." Henry reassured.

"Get on with it. Fast." Nicholas growled at the dark one.

"Alright, Henry." Gold began as he slowly waved his hand over the boy, "Just relax and soon, you're gonna drift off."

"What do I tell them?"

"Just listen to my bedtime story, and all will be clear. Once upon a time, Snow White and Prince Charming needed to stun a very powerful magician long enough to lock him up in a dark dungeon."

"That was you. They used Cinderella to trap you with a magic quill."

"Yes, indeed, a quill. And yet, it wasn't the quill itself, but the ink that captured the dark one, harvested from the rarest species of squid from the bottom of a bottomless ocean-impossible to find unless you're a mermaid…or me. I happen to have a private supply. In my jail cell that is where they will find it."

 **OUaT**

As they waited for Aurora to wake up with Henry's message, the group sat in silence before Nicholas jolted to his feet looking anxious. "What is it?" Mulan asked.

"…I smell death." he replied as he covered his hands with his shield. From behind the trees, a mob of zombies trudged over to them and began to attack.

"Gah! What are these things?!" Emma shouted as she fended them off with her sword.

Mulan then cut down one of the men and looked at his face, "I know this one! He was one of the villagers at the safe haven."

"Nicholas!" Snow cried as she shot arrow after arrow at the zombies.

"I know, I know!" he shouted as he took down the walking corpses, "This has my mother's magic-die you maggot farm! Written all over it."

Wh-what's happening?!" Aurora cried as she woke up.

"Oh, you know, the usual." Nicholas said with nervous humor as he snapped a zombie's neck, "We were just enjoying a peaceful afternoon, and then my mother's twisted sense of humor decided to pay us a visit!"

"Any ideas how to kill these things?" Emma asked as she and Snow pressed their backs against Nicholas's.

"One. But it may just wind up killing you two in the process if we aren't quick enough." he replied.

"We'll take that chance. Do what you have to do." Snow replied.

"Alright, when I give the word, duck and shield your faces." Nicholas instructed as the walking dead came closer and he put on his gloves, "Now!" he cried as he snapped his fingers and engulfed the enemy in flames. It was a matter of seconds before the zombies were reduced to ashes.

"Nicholas?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, Emma?"

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Noted. Hey…where the hell are Mulan and Aurora?"

 **OUaT**

With a sudden gasp, Henry rose up from his bed, though he seemed to be in pain. "Henry, are you alright?" Nicholas asked.

"Did you see her? Did you tell her?" Gold asked.

"No. I-I didn't get the chance. Something-something happened." Henry winced, "She-she got sucked out of there." He then moaned in pain as he cradled his arm.

"Henry." Regina said as she gently pulled back his sleeve showing everyone a severe burn.

 **OUaT**

After catching up with Mulan, who revealed that two of the surviving zombies took Aurora, the group journeyed through the forest in hopes to track the princess. Eventually, a raven landed on Snow's shoulder and gave her a message.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"Cora. We have until sundown to bring her the compass. If we don't, she'll kill Aurora." Snow relayed.

"Give it to me." Mulan demanded.

"Hold on, Mulan. Just give us a minute to consider." Emma snapped.

"There's nothing to consider." Mulan barked, "A compass is not worth Aurora's life."

"We need a plan to get back Aurora and keep the compass." coached Snow.

"My vow to Phillip was to protect Aurora."

"Which you failed at." Nicholas retorted, "Why should we have to suffer the consequences of your incompetence?"

"That promise is all that is left of him, so it shall be done." Mulan said as she tried to take it by force.

"Hey! I climbed a beanstalk for this. You go get your own." Emma snapped.

"Give it to me!"

"Mulan. Mulan, give us a few hours, please." Snow begged, "If we haven't defeated Cora by then, you can have the compass."

"You can't hope to defeat her. We no longer have access to the dark one's assistance." Mulan retorted.

"Yes, we do." Snow debated.

"How? Aurora's gone."

"Aurora isn't the only one who's been under a sleeping curse." she reminded, "I can go back to that netherworld."

"Hmm, didn't think about that." Nicholas muttered.

"The door to that place is closed. You said it yourself."

"There may be a way, a way for me to go back into a deep slumber, one that can let me access it again."

"Another sleeping curse?" Emma asked.

"No. No not another curse. I don't need one. I've been under already. I need to go into a sleep where my natural defenses slip away, where my mind stops protecting me."

"How?"

"I can make a sedative perfect for what we need." Nicholas provided, "Luckily, I have the herbs for it. Just give me a few minutes, Snow, and you'll be out like a light."

"How long will it take?" Emma asked.

"For me to make it? Ten minutes. For the effects to kick in? Five seconds."

 **OUaT**

As his nephew continued to groan in pain, Nicholas gently placed his hands over the burn. In a flash of alchemic lightning, the wound was gone and so was the pain.

"There." he said before looking at his sister and Gold, "So any ideas why my nephew received a third degree burn from that netherworld?"

"When you venture deeper into the netherworld instead of away, there are risks." simply replied the pawn broker, "Someone woke Aurora before her soul was ready to return. The violence of that act tore her away and injured Henry. Much like a rebound from a poorly performed transmutation regarding your Alchemy. We're lucky it wasn't worse. He's going to need some time to recover before he can be sent back."

Hearing this caused the other adults to protest. "Out of the question."

"Not a chance in hell."

"Hell no. We'd be monsters to even consider risking his life again." Nicholas denied.

"Careful with your tone, Flamel." Rumple warned, "I understand your concern for the boy, but I know Cora. Without our help, Snow and Emma will soon be dead. Besides, you, your sister and I are already monsters. Last thing we need is another one on her way to Storybrooke."

"Aurora is gone." Regina snapped, "Why do we need to send Henry back to that fiery inferno with no one there to receive our message?"

"…Because someone will be there." David realized.

"Who?" Nicholas asked.

"Snow."

"That's an awfully big assumption." Regina scoffed.

"No. No, it's not." he argued, "She was there once before. She can go back. She can find another way. She will. I know it. And I'll be waiting."

"You're going to this netherworld?" Regina asked skeptically.

"I faced you. How bad could it be?" he asked.

"Ouch." Nicholas dryly remarked.

"It's not as simple as that." Gold debated, "You can't get there. You haven't been under a sleeping curse."

"Well, then put me under one."

"If we do that, there's a chance you might never wake up."

"Sure, I will. When I see her, she'll kiss me, and I'll be fine." David argued, "Now put me under. I've spent far too much time looking for my wife. It is time to bring her home."

"Very well. You're about to join a distinguished club, Mr. Nolan. Before such innovations as the apple, back when the sleeping curse first came to be, a more direct method was required; through blood." Gold explained as he pulled out a vial of the liquid curse, "By pricking one's finger on the needle of a spinning wheel, one falls under the spell. Your Majesty, you did his wife. I'm sure you'd like the honors."

Regina then took the needle and dipped it in the vial before reinserting it into the wheel. "It's all yours."

"Good luck." Henry said as he hugged his grandfather.

"It's going to be alright." David reassured.

"How do you know?"

"Well…how did you know Emma would save you after you ate the turnover?" he asked.

"I believed in her."

"The way Snow and I believed she'd come back to break the curse. That's the kind of faith that runs in our family."

"This helps control the flames in the room." Henry said as he gave David the necklace, "It'll keep you safe."

"I will guard it with my life." David said with a warm smile, "When I awake, I'll be in that fiery room?" he asked Gold.

"Not exactly." he replied, "That room is where those who've already awoken from the curse return. You, however, are being put under for the first time."

"Then how will I know where to go? How the hell am I supposed to find a room with no door?"

"And that, dearie, is the conundrum we're all depending on you solving." Gold remarked, "Now I say this with the utmost sincerity, good luck."

With a scoff, David pricked his finger and allowed the curse to take effect. Not a second later, he collapsed on the bed as deathly asleep as his wife once was.

 **OUaT**

"Alright, Snow, better have someone tuck you in 'cause the sedative is finished." Nicholas informed as he carried a bottle of the drink over to her.

"How long will the effects last?" she asked.

"Well, it's typically used to keep people asleep for hours on end. Luckily, while it keeps you asleep all it will take is a nudge to wake you up. Fair warning, tastes like unicorn piss."

"I'm afraid to ask." Emma groaned.

"Imagine a sweet flavored urine instead of a salty one." Nicholas replied in disgust as he handed it to Snow, "Bottoms up."

As she drank it and resisted the urge to spit it out, Snow fell asleep. About fifteen minutes later, she woke up and frantically crawled over to Nicholas.

"What is it? What happened?" Emma asked.

"I need more of that sedative. Nicholas, you have to give me more now!" Snow begged.

"I can't, that was the last of it. Snow, what happened in there? What did Henry tell you?" he asked.

"Henry wasn't there. Charming was. He went under a sleeping curse to see me, he thought kissing me would wake him up but it didn't and now he's trapped." Snow frantically said on the verge of tears, "We have to get back, now."

"We will. We will." Emma soothed, "You told me to have faith, and now I'm telling you to do the same."

"Please tell us David was able to give us Gold's message." Nicholas begged.

"It's Rumplestiltskin. He said the key to stopping your mother is in his jail cell."

"Key in a jail cell. How coy." Nicholas dryly joked, "Alright then, let's go get it."

As they gathered their belongings, Emma realized something horrible. "No."

"What?" Snow asked.

"The compass is gone and so is Mulan." she panicked.

"…That damn crossdressing bitch!" Nicholas shouted. Using his shadows, Nicholas spotted Mulan just a little way ahead. He then used his alchemy to create a cage around the female warrior. "Way to stick with the plan and be a team player, Mulan." he said dryly with sarcasm as they caught up with her.

"All we want is the compass." Emma said gently as Nicholas took down the cage.

"Very well." Mulan relented before trying to strike them with her sword only to have Nicholas grab it with his bare hands.

"Really?" he dryly asked, "You're up against three experienced fighters and one of them is immortal. You really think the odds are in your favor? Give us the compass." he demanded as he pressed his sword against her throat.

"And seal Aurora's fate?" Mulan asked.

"We learned how to overpower Cora." growled Snow, "Once we get what we need, we will defeat her, and Aurora will be free."

"Another journey, just as I predicted there would be." she spat, "Our best chance to save Aurora is to make that trade now."

"Not gonna happen." Snow shot back, "Without that compass, we can't get home."

"Then I hope you're prepared to use that sword."

"Your funeral." Nicholas shrugged without a care. As he was about to thrust the blade into her neck, Aurora shouted in protest as she emerged from the trees.

"Okay, don't take this the wrong way, but how the hell did you get here?" Emma bluntly asked.

"Let Mulan go." she ordered, "I said, let her go."

"Pah," Nicholas scoffed as he sheathed the weapon, "Were you followed?"

"I-I don't think so. Cora may know I'm gone, but she didn't see me escape."

"How did you escape?"

"It was Hook." she replied, "He let me go."

"Why?"

"Because of you." she said to Emma, "He said he wanted to prove to you that you should've trusted him, that if you had trusted him you could've defeated Cora together. That the two of you could've gotten the remains of the wardrobe. Without him, you'll have to go up against her all by yourself. He only wants to help. I…I think he may care for you. Did you find a way to stop Cora?"

"Yes."

"Where are we going?"

"Rumpelstiltskin's cell."

"Great. Then lead the way."

 **OUaT**

As he scribbled down notes at his desk as he did every day, Flamel heard the clicking of his sister's heels as she walked past him with a man dressed in black leather, multiple pieces of jewelry with a hook.

"Brother, we have a guest." Regina said overly sweet, "Allow me to introduce you to a new business partner of mine; Captain Hook."

"And the reason you brought a few centuries old pirate to our home is because why exactly?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Because we have a common enemy and we've agreed to make an exchange." she replied.

"Ah."

"You see, my dear captain, things are about to change in this world. Radically." Regina explained, "I have plans to enact a curse that will take everyone to a far-off land."

"How will that help me?" Hook asked.

"This new realm? It's a land without magic, where the dark one will be stripped of his powers. There you won't need any magical weapon to kill him. You can do it with a mere flick of your wrist."

"Tell me what I have to do." he said.

"There's one person I don't want following my brother and I to this new land. You're to see to it that doesn't happen."

"An assassination. Who is it you want me to dispose of?" Hook asked as Regina stood at Flamel's side and gently smoothed a few stray hairs.

"Our mother." she replied.

 **OUaT**

At Gold's shop, Regina looked down at David's cursed form, he hadn't so much as twitched since he pricked his finger the previous day. Currently, she was the only one in the shop with Gold while Henry was at school and Nicholas was with Red as they kept an eye on the town.

"Any change?" Gold asked.

"No." Regina informed, "He's not improving. He needs True Love's Kiss. He won't wake up until Mary Margaret comes back."

"Until?" asked the skeptic dark one, "Well, that's rather optimistic, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"They're up against your mother. The only chance Snow and Emma have of defeating her is with the squid ink."

"Which is why you sent the message through David."

"Which would be beneficial if we knew that message were delivered." he retorted, "But alas, given the prince's condition, we don't know. As such, it's important we take precautions. We have to consider the possibility then when that portal opens, it won't be his family that comes through. It'll be Cora."

"And neither one of us wants that." Regina agreed fearfully.

"We have to find where they're coming through and destroy that portal."

"But whoever came through would die."

"Exactly." Gold nodded, "But I'm confident between the two of us and your brother we can summon up enough power to complete the task."

"Please. You know as well as I do that things never end well when Alchemy and magic are used together. Besides, what if we're wrong? What if that portal opens up and it's not my mother? What if Mary Margaret and Emma do defeat Cora and go through it?" she asked, "Unlike us, Nicholas considers them his friends and would be heartbroken if he was responsible for their deaths."

"Well, given the cold persona your brother displayed when he killed King George, I imagine that he'll get over it fairly quick. And that could also end up in, as they say in this world, a win-win situation."

"How exactly is that?"

"If we stop Cora, you and Flamel are protected from your mother's wrath. If on the other hand, we stop Snow and Emma, well…you become the only mother in your son's life and you'll have your family back the way it was before Ms. Swan ever arrived." Gold replied with a grin, "Look, magic is unpredictable in this world. If something unfortunate were to happen while you were attempting to help, neither Henry or Nicholas could hardly blame you for that, could they?"

"No." refused the queen, "I can't lie to them. I am trying to be a better mother and sister."

"You won't be able to be a better anything if Cora comes through." argued Rumple, "And if she does, she will be a threat to everyone, including your son and brother. So if you truly want to be a good mother to Henry, and a good sister to Nicholas, to protect them, if you want to be better, prove it. You already lost them both once, you think you can go through that again?"

 **OUaT**

"Wow, you really gave the imp a cozy little chateau, didn't you, Snow?" Nicholas asked as they journeyed through the underground tunnel.

"I haven't been here since before Regina's curse hit." she breathed in nostalgia, "Back when he told us Emma was going to be the Savior."

"He knew?" Emma asked in shock.

"It was prophesied."

"The squid ink, it's not here." Aurora informed from the cell with Mulan.

"Gold said we would find it." Snow reminded.

"Well, was there anyone else in here with him?" Mulan asked.

"No, he was kept alone." Snow replied, "Visitors were forbidden. He was too dangerous to allow any human contact."

"How'd he keep from going crazy?" Emma asked.

"Pft, if you ever saw how he acted before, you'd think he already was." Nicholas scoffed as he looked around.

"And here's the proof." Aurora said as she held up an old scroll.

"What is it?" Emma asked, "Is that a message?"

"Yes. And I think it's for you." she said, as they all looked at it, they saw nothing but the name "Emma" written on every available space.

"Crazy and creepy. Really makes you wonder how he was able to act so collected the whole time in Storybrooke." Nicholas said bluntly.

"What does this even mean?" Emma asked.

"He was obsessed with you, Emma." Snow sighed, "You were the key to breaking the curse."

"We've looked everywhere. There's no ink in this cell." Aurora pointed out.

"Well, it had to be. He told David."

"You were in a netherworld. Maybe something got lost in translation." Emma offered.

"No. She heard right." Mulan denied as she pulled out a vial.

"You found it?" Nicholas asked.

"In a manner of speaking. There was ink in the cell." she said as she revealed the vial to be empty.

"Son of a bitch." Emma sighed as Aurora threw it at the lever keeping the cell open causing it to close, "Aurora, what are you doing?!"

"Helping me." Cora replied as she emerged from the shadows with Hook. With a wave of her hand, the compass went from Emma's hand to her own.

"No." she gasped.

"Oh, don't waste your energy, dear." Cora soothed darkly, "Rumplestiltskin himself couldn't escape from this cell. Thank you, Aurora. We couldn't have done it without you."

"Why would you do this?" Emma asked.

"How could you?!" Snow cried.

"Don't blame her." Nicholas spat as he glared at his mother, "She was only doing as she was told. Isn't that right, Mother?"

"Clever as always, son." chuckled the sorceress as she pulled out a heart.

"You took her heart?" asked Emma.

"Actually, I did." corrected the pirate as Cora began to squeeze.

"Forgive us. We'd love to stay, but Storybrooke awaits." Cora mocked.

"Hook." Emma called, "Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me."

"Perhaps you should've considered that before you abandoned me on that beanstalk." he countered.

"You would've done the same."

"Actually, no." he whispered before holding up a necklace in her face, "Do you know what this is, Emma?"

"The bean that the giant kept." she said as she tried to take it.

"Yes, indeed. A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this is no mere trinket. This is a symbol, something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you." he whispered, "The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done with you."

"You're just going to abandon your own son here, Cora?" Snow asked only to see the woman scoff.

"Oh, dear, sweet Snow." chuckled Cora, "Nicholas has had the ability to take the three of you back to Storybrooke the whole time. Didn't he mention that?"

"You could?!" shouted the two women.

"…Oh, damn." he whispered as he hung his head as Hook and Cora left, "Yes, I can take us back home by using alchemy. But if I were to try that, it would most likely kill the two of you." admitted the alchemist.

"Don't you think we were willing to take the chance?!" Emma shouted as she grabbed his collar only to be shoved off.

"Yeah, and it's blind stupidity like that that would kill you!" he snarled, "Emma, alchemy isn't like magic. If there is a higher chance at failure than succession, you don't risk it. No amount of faith, or hope, or love will get you through it if things begin to look bad. If I had tried to take us back to Storybrooke my way, then you and Snow would've ended up as a ball of fused flesh choking on what remained of your lives! While I'm not the biggest supporter of magic, I knew that it would be the safest way for you two to get back home."

"But Cora now has the ashes and the compass!" Snow snapped.

"Well, then we're just going to have to figure a way out of here before they can use them and beat us to the punch, now won't we?!" yelled Nicholas.

"And just how do you propose we do that, Nicholas?!"

"Like this!" he cried before using his alchemy to destroy the bars, "Well, come on, then!" he shouted as he ran through the cave dust.

 **OUaT**

As Nicholas patiently waited out by the diner for his girlfriend, he saw her run out and zoom past him. "Red!" he called as he followed her, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Leroy called me. He said it was an emergency." she replied as they headed towards the mines, "Leory! What is it? What's the emergency?" she asked as they met up with the dwarf staring at the ceiling.

"They're gone." he said. Sure enough, the diamonds originally planned to use for fairy dust were nowhere in sight, "They're all gone."

"…Why do I get the feeling Regina was involved in this?" Nicholas asked dryly. Eventually after gathering the other dwarves, Red stormed into the shop and asked Henry where his mother and Gold were. Unfortunately, he didn't know.

 **OUaT**

Once Hook returned from Wonderland with Cora's body, both Regina and Flamel stood before her casket, each with a rose in their hands. "Did she put up a fight?" asked Regina.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Hook replied.

"Thank you. Now leave us." she gently ordered, "My brother and I would like a moment to say goodbye to her."

Hook nodded and left the siblings to their grief. "I'm sorry, Mother." Regina apologized, "Without you, I never would've become the person I am now. But I had no choice. I had to do this. After you killed Daniel, you told me something I've never forgotten. Love is weakness. Well, Mother, you are my weakness…because I love you. That's why I couldn't risk taking you to the new land with us. Your grip on my heart is just too strong. And for what I need to do…the only weakness I'll allow myself to have is Nicholas." she sniffled as she set her rose on Cora's chest, "Goodbye, Mother."

"Regina," Flamel spoke up, "If it's alright with you, I'd like to say my goodbyes to Mother alone."

"Of course." she nodded as she pulled her little brother into a hug.

"I warned you this would happen." he said to the corpse, "I told you this would be the outcome after what you did to Daniel. The ironic part about all this is that you did it out of what you believed to be love." Flamel took a moment to steady his voice and sniffle back the snot coming from his nose as he teared up. "For the longest time, all I ever thought of was coming back home to you, Father and Regina. And now I'll have to go even longer without you in my life. I never wanted any of this to happen, and yet I blame myself for not being able to prevent it. I failed our family…just like I failed to stop him."

At this point, Flamel was sobbing harder than he had cried in years. "I miss you, Mother. Even after all the things you've done…I still love you and wish you were still alive. Maybe someday, the four of us will finally be together again." as he controlled himself, he placed the rose next his sister's and placed a kiss on Cora's forehead and whispered, "Goodbye."

Little did Flamel know that as soon as he closed the mausoleum's doors, Cora rose from her casket and looked at the roses with a longing look on her face.

 **OUaT**

At what was once Lake Nostos, Cora and Hook stood before a swirling whirlpool that would lead them to Storybrooke. Just as they were about to jump in, Snow shot an arrow at Cora and knocked the compass right out of her hand.

"You're not going anywhere!" Emma shouted as she, Snow and Nicholas stood on the other side, "This portal's taking us home!"

"Go get the compass." Nicholas told Emma as he put on his gloves.

"Find it first. I'll take care of them." Cora said to Hook.

The fight didn't last very long. Cora and her son sent blasts of fire at each other while Emma crossed blades with Hook before taking the compass and knocking him out. As they tried to make a break for the portal, Cora appeared in front of them and knocked them back.

"Why do you want to go to Storybrooke?" Nicholas asked as Cora approached Snow.

"Because you and your sister need me." she replied, "And now I'm going to give Regina the one thing she's always wanted; Snow White's heart."

But just as she was about to take it, Nicholas shoved her out of the way and caused Cora to pull out his own bringing him to the ground as he looked to his friends with lifeless eyes.

 **OUaT**

At the old wishing well, Nicholas, Red and Henry caught up to Regina and Gold as they stood before the well with green magical lightning covering it.

"Mom?" Henry asked, "You're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you?"

"I'm helping you and your uncle, Henry." Regina replied gently, "Nicholas, you know as well as we do that we can't let Cora get through the portal. You and I know exactly what she would do to us."

"I know, but we can't run the risk of Emma and Snow being the ones to make it through." he reasoned.

"You're gonna kill them." stressed Ruby.

"Sorry, dearie." Gold apologized as he tried to knock her back only to be stopped by a wall made by Nicholas.

"Try anything like that again, Gold, and we'll test just how immortal you think you are." he warned.

"Emma and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her. They're the ones who're going to come through." Henry argued.

"Henry, you mother's right. It's gonna be Cora." the dark one debated.

"No. It won't. Good always defeats evil. You should know that more than anyone."

"What I know is that my mother will destroy everything I love, and everything Nicholas loves." Regina retorted looking to her sibling who knew she was right, "And for the both of us, that means you. I can't let that happen."

 **OUaT**

"No!" Emma cried. To make matters worse, Nicholas began to disintegrate into black ashes until only his weapons and clothes were left. In her horror, Emma looked at Cora and saw not a heart, but a little, crimson red stone with severed veins attached to it in the palm of her hand. "What the hell is that?!" she asked hotly.

"This, my dears, is the source of my son's immortality. The very thing that allows him to use his alchemy without so much as a twitch; what gives him his unique abilities. The achievement all alchemists hope to one day achieve; the Philosopher's Stone."

As Cora explained this, the stone began to surge with red alchemic lightning and began create even more veins until they grew and blended together to create a skeleton and muscle tissue. She then dropped the stone and watched with Emma and Snow as Nicholas regenerated to his original appearance; thankfully, he managed to crawl back into his clothes before anything embarrassing could regrow before the women.

"Now, where were we?" Cora asked as she once again tried to take Snow's heart only to be stopped by Emma. "Oh, you foolish girl." she scoffed with her hand in the blonde's chest, "Don't you know? Love is weakness."

She then tried to yank out the organ but found that something prevented her from doing so. "No." Emma denied, "It's strength." In an instant, a surge of white magic erupted from her and sent Cora back several feet. "What was that?" she asked in shock.

"That is a great subject for discussion when we get home." Snow replied as they ran towards the portal, "Nicholas, come on!"

"Right!" he called back with a slur as he staggered over to them. Apparently, regenerating every part of one's body from a stone takes a lot out of one. With their hands joined and the compass in their possession, the trio jumped into the portal.

 **OUaT**

"You can't!" Henry cried as he and Red tried to run past Regina and Nicholas only to be stopped by them, "Stop it! You can't! You're gonna kill them! Please! No! They're going to make it through! We have to turn it off!"

"You're gonna kill them!" Red cried as her boyfriend held her back. Henry managed to break free only to be pulled back by his mother.

"What are you doing?!" she asked.

"Emma and Mary Margaret are going to come through. I know it." Henry stressed, "You said you wanted to change, to be better. This is how. You want me to have faith in you? Have faith in me."

With tears in her eyes, Regina approached the well and began to remove the barrier. Once it was gone, Regina nearly collapsed to the ground and was helped up by her brother. When no one came up from the well, Henry feared the worst. "No!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, Henry. I'm sorry." choked Regina knowing that her son would never forgive her. Both Henry and Red tried to control themselves over the loss of their loved ones while Nicholas did his best to stay stoned faced.

But just then, Emma climbed up out of the well with Snow just behind her!

"Mom?" Henry asked.

"Henry!" Emma cried as they ran up to hug each other, "Oh! I missed you!"

"I missed you, too." he said in her embrace.

"I missed you so much." she said as Snow joined the hug.

"Snow!" Red cried as she ran up to hug her best friend.

"You guys made it." Nicholas said happily.

"Nicholas, of course we did-wait a minute." Emma said as she and Snow looked at him in confusion, "Why are you wearing different clothes than before we jumped into the portal?"

"What are you talking about, Emma?" he asked before they could all hear the sound of groaning from the well.

"Agh, where's that damn Lassie when you need her?" the other Nicholas asked as he climbed out of the well and landed face first as he fell out.

Everyone, including Gold, looked down at him in complete shock and then back at the other Nicholas repeatedly.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" shouted all the adults. Well, all of them except for Ruby whose only thoughts (most of them dirty) were, "Thank you, God!"

"Okay, why the hell are there two of Nicholas?" Emma asked.

"Well," they both said simultaneously, "This has never happened before. How strange."

"Um, Ruby." Snow whispered, "You're drooling."

"I know. You would be too if you had two of David." she replied dreamily.

"So," the E.F. Nicholas began as he inspected his doppelganger, "Any ideas as to why there are two of us?"

"Well…it's possible that this happened when the portal closed on us as we fell through." replied the S.B. Nicholas.

"But if that were the reason, then only one of us would have regenerated. Unless-"

"Unless the Stone was split in two as the portal collapsed on us. Of course." he realized as he smacked his forehead, "I knew there was a reason why I've felt thin ever since that night."

"So how are you two going to become one again?" Snow asked.

"Oh, it's quite simple. One of us will have to be eaten by the other's shadows."

"How are you guys going to decide that?" Emma asked.

"Well, I think he should be the one to be eaten." E.F. Nicholas said pointing to himself.

"Oh, yeah? Why me?" S.B. Nicholas asked.

"Because I stood up against Mother and won." he stated proudly.

"Oh, yeah? Well, I finally asked Ruby on a date and now we're boyfriend and girlfriend." he informed smugly.

"You are?" he asked.

"You are?" Emma and Snow asked the smiling were-wolf.

"Hmm…rock, paper, scissors?"

"Deal."

"You're seriously going to decide which of you is going to get eaten by yourself with rock, paper, scissors?" Emma asked.

"Whatever way we decided, Emma, the end result is going to be pretty gruesome so you guys may want to go now. I bet David's pretty anxious to wake up now, wouldn't you agree, Snow?"

That was all she needed to hear before sprinting back to town. Eventually, it was E.F. Nicholas who was eaten. Later that day while everyone, aside from Regina, was celebrating at Granny's, Nicholas found his sister in their den looking heartbroken.

"Hey, sis." he softly greeted.

"Hey. Why aren't you out celebrating?" she asked.

"Two reasons. One, there's no way I'm going to leave you alone with as sad as you are right now. And two, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Just before we made it through the portal, Mother tried to rip out Snow's heart. I got in the way, but in doing so, she ripped out my stone and now Emma and Snow know about it."

"What do we do?"

"If they start looking into it, we make sure that they never find out how I acquired the Stone. If they do…there's no telling what they'll do. They must never know how I became immortal."

"What about Red?" Regina asked.

"…I'll tell her, and only her, when I feel like the time is right. But until then, no one can know my secret."

 **Gasp! What's going to happen to Nicholas if people learn his secret? Stay tuned and you'll find out.**


	17. The Cricket Game

**We are finally at the saga I have been dying to get to. To be honest, I am really surprised at how fast I got through this. Not that I'm ignoring my work at school, trust me, I am managing my time. In this chapter, all of you will see what happens to Nicholas when Cora comes to town. I hope you all enjoy and let me know what you thought of it.**

 **Oh, and for those of you who probably read my little mistake in the last chapter, I fixed it. Sorry. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

Many years ago in the Enchanted Forest, a young girl of eight years old giggled happily as she played in the field with her four-year-old brother with their parents watching them fondly. "Catch me if you can!" the girl teased as she ran off towards the woods with her brother toddling behind.

"No fair!" he pouted, "Gina, wait for me!"

As they ran through the tree covered area, the boy eventually lost sight of his sister. He looked left and right but didn't see a single trace of her. He unknowingly began to back up and tripped over a root and began to tumble down a tall hill. In a matter of moments, the boy finally landed before a group of vile looking men. The fattest one of all, most likely the leader, took one look at him and nodded at his men, signaling them to grab the poor child and throw him in one of the cages they had filled with people.

 **OUaT**

"You really think this will end well?" Regina asked Nicholas as they walked towards Granny's with food in their hands. Everyone decided to throw a welcome home party for the trio and Nicholas decided to invite his big sister.

"Oh, sister dear." he sighed with a smirk, "You worry too much."

As they entered the diner, everyone had just raised their glasses and cheered at a speech given by David. Although, it ended as soon as they saw Regina. "Sorry we're late." she apologized.

"What is she doing here?" Leroy asked as he drew a knife.

"Nicholas and I invited her." Emma replied.

"If you have an issue with it, Leroy, feel free to save it for later." Nicholas lectured with a dry look.

"I'm glad you guys came." smiled Henry as Regina served him a piece of her lasagna.

"Me, too." said Nicholas as he hugged his family, "This is a party for me too, last thing I want is for my family to be somewhere else right now. Hey, Leroy. Regina made lasagna. Care for a piece?"

"What's the secret ingredient? Poison?" asked the dwarf.

"Red pepper flakes." Regina corrected flatly, "Gives it a little kick."

As the party went on, Regina found herself to be the only one in the diner without someone to talk to. Having enough of that, she decided to quietly exit the building. However, Nicholas noticed this and followed his sister out the door with Emma following him.

"Regina." Nicholas called as he caught up with her, "Hey, what's the matter? Why'd you leave?"

"Just didn't have the partying spirit, I guess." she lied.

"Archie made a cake." Emma offered, "Why don't you stay for a piece?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." she politely denied.

"Okay." Emma said seeing that Regina had made up her mind.

"Thank you." she said again.

"You just said that, sis." Nicholas reminded.

"F-For inviting me." she clarified.

"Henry and I wanted you to come." he shrugged.

"I'm glad you guys got to spend some time together." Emma added.

"Me, too. I'd like to see him more." Regina informed gently, "Maybe you'd consider letting him stay over some time. W-we have his room just…just waiting for him."

"Oh." said Emma, "I'm-I'm not sure that's best."

"Emma, what are you saying?" Nicholas asked; his sister, however, didn't share the same tone of response.

"Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him." Regina countered flatly, "Talk to David and Nicholas. At least they took care of him while you were away, like Nicholas and I did, during the ten years you were away the first time."

"Regina." Nicholas said in concern.

"Okay. Thanks for coming." Emma said before heading back inside.

"No. Wait. I'm sorry." Regina apologized, "Emma, I'm-I'm sorry. Snapping at you, I shouldn't have done that. Will you accept my apology?"

"Okay. You're right. Archie said you were trying to change, and, well, you are." Emma replied.

"Dr. Hopper said she was trying?" Nicholas asked while his sister tried to control herself.

"Yeah, and he said how you were going to him, too. Something about wanting to better yourself for Ruby while Regina's not trying to use magic. You understand, I was hesitant to invite you. Especially after what David said you did to Spencer, Nicholas."

"I did that to keep that bastard from harming the town like that again." he defended feeling hurt.

"I should be going." Regina informed wanting to avoid the awkward situation.

"I think I'll join you." Nicholas added.

"Nicholas, wait. That's not what I meant." Emma pleaded.

"Oh, I think it was." he retorted as he followed his sister, still looking hurt by what the blonde said. As they left, Ruby came out hoping to find her boyfriend.

"Hey, where's Nicholas?" she asked the sheriff.

"He left with Regina."

"Why?"

"I think I just hurt his feelings." Emma replied feeling guilty.

As the two siblings walked to their house, Hook with Cora at his side watched them through his spy glass. "So…are they broken yet?" he asked.

"Not yet." Cora replied as she watched her children.

The next morning, Nicholas was out for a run with Ruby by the docks when he spotted his sister having a heated conversation with Archie. He didn't want anything to do with the chatty bug, but Ruby, who still didn't trust the woman, went over to them.

"Hey. Is everything okay here?" she asked.

"Private conversation." Regina flatly replied, "Nicholas, go take your girlfriend for a walk."

"Ruby, come on. Let's leave the Dr. Phil of termites to his well-deserved lecture." huffed the alchemist as he continued to jog.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Let's just say that Dr. Hopper isn't on the best of terms with my sister and I, right now."

As night fell that day, in the depths of Storybrooke, a man wearing white robes sitting on a stone throne with long, bleached brown hair reaching his shoulders looked down at the person kneeling before him.

"Flamel has finally begun to show his weakness." he said with a deep voice, "You know what to do, my son."

"Of course, Father." the person said with a voice that sounded like it was laced with broken glass.

The next morning, Henry and Emma exited Granny's after having breakfast when suddenly, Pongo came running towards them from Archie's office across the street.

"Hey, Pongo." Henry happily greeted only to hear the dog bark.

"Emma." Ruby said in a panic as she came out of the diner, "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" she asked as Pongo continued to bark, "Never mind. The wolf thing. You know what? 11 is old enough to walk to the bus stop. I'll pick you up later." she said to Henry as he walked away.

As Pongo ran back to the office with the two women following him, a man reading a newspaper folded it away to reveal that it was Nicholas with a sinister grin. As he got up from his seat, he walked to the town square where several people were walking in multiple directions.

He then spotted a little girl holding onto a stuffed bear run towards him before bumping into his leg. She looked up at him with a cute smile showing she was missing a tooth. As Nicholas smiled at her, he pulled a gun from his coat and aimed it at the girl's head.

At that moment, she realized that she was about to be killed, but just before she could so much as scream, Nicholas pulled the trigger and killed her instantly.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the town as everyone looked towards the source and gasped as they watched the child's body hit the ground and stained it with her blood.

Still smiling, Nicholas turned into a rat and fled into the sewers. Eventually, the rat arrived before the throne where the mysterious man sat and transformed into the man's son. "It is done, Father. Before the day is finished, all of Storybrooke will turn against Flamel."

"You have done well, my child." the man said with a smirk.

Later that day, both Regina and Nicholas were brought to the interrogation room in the sheriff's station. As they patiently waited, Emma and David stormed in, glaring at the siblings.

"Glad to see the sheriff's station's now a family business." Regina joked, "Why are we here?"

"You both know why you're here. Because of Archie and Susan." Emma replied. On the other side of the glass, Ruby and Snow looked at them with tears in their eyes.

"Oh, it's now against the law to get into an argument with someone?" Regina asked.

"Who is Susan?" Nicholas asked.

"Susan Cline." David said hotly as he slammed a picture of the girl in front of him, "I took your advice and took pictures. You were seen blowing her brains out in the town square this morning while Emma and Ruby found Archie lying dead in his office."

"Archie's dead?" Regina asked in both concern and shock.

"I don't know who told you this, but I didn't kill this girl." Nicholas argued.

"Stop it, you two." David ordered, "Regina, Ruby saw you going into Archie's office last night and at least thirteen people saw you point a gun at that little girl's head this morning, Nicholas."

"Then they're all lying." Regina retorted, "We were home during both instances."

"After everything we've done, you honestly think that we would do such things?" Nicholas asked Emma, "Why would either of us kill anyone after we've worked so hard for the people we care about? Why would we act so sloppy just to let ourselves be caught like this?"

"We've caught one of you before." David reminded, "Come on, Emma. Who do you think's lying, Ruby and the witnesses or them?"

"If you think you've finally gotten this sheriff thing down, where's the murder weapon with my finger prints?" Nicholas hotly asked.

"Our witnesses say you took it with you before turning into a rat and running into the sewers." David replied, "Nicholas, don't do this to yourself. Don't be like your sister. Just tell us the truth."

"I am." he hissed, "I have killed before, yes. I won't deny that. But I have never done so without needing to defend those I wished to protect. And I most certainly would never lower myself as to murder a child."

Seeing as they weren't getting anywhere with them, Emma and David went on the other side of the glass to see Ruby looking conflicted and heartbroken while Snow looked at them with hatred.

"So what do we do with them now?" Snow asked.

"Lock them up." David replied.

"We can't lock them up because they didn't do it." Emma corrected.

"Emma's right." nodded Ruby, "Nicholas isn't capable of killing anyone in cold blood, especially a child."

"You really believe them?" David asked.

"If I'm going to put my faith in one of them, I will give the other just as much." Red replied.

"I watched them when we told them Archie and that little girl died. Neither of them knew." Emma argued.

"Emma, I know that you want to believe that Regina can change for Henry, but-"

"I know what I saw. Look at them. The old Regina would've reduced this building to ashes and from what I saw in the Enchanted Forest, Nicholas would've helped her if he was angry enough. That's a woman who wants to change and her brother who's stood by us and done nothing but help not only me, but all of you ever since he met us. I know that look. I know them. I believe them." Emma argued.

"With all due respect, you don't know Regina like we do." David debated.

"Maybe that's the problem." Ruby countered.

"In your kingdom, they were the Evil Queen and her brother, but here, they're Regina and Nicholas. And I'm still the sheriff, and I say they're innocent until proven guilty." said Emma.

"So what do you suggest we do?" asked Snow.

"Let them go."

"Emma, they-" David began only to be cut off by his daughter.

"We let them go, and then we find the truth."

"How?" asked Snow.

"Both of them were seeing Archie. Let's start at his office." Ruby suggested.

After the group eventually returned to the office, they each searched through it in hopes of finding, or not finding, any evidence. "Huh. Regina and Nicholas's files, they're empty." David informed as he searched through the cabinet.

"So they did it." Snow accused, "Regina killed the kindest soul in this town, a man who only cared about helping. And Nicholas killed an innocent child for no reason at all."

"This doesn't prove anything, Snow." Red argued, "Just because their files are empty doesn't mean either of them killed anyone."

"I promise we'll fine whoever really did this." Emma swore to her parents.

"Isn't it time you admit we already have?" David asked, "Regina had a fight with Archie. Ruby, you said it yourself that you saw her outside last night and the previous morning, Nicholas was showing hostility towards him, too. Maybe Nicholas killed Susan because he wanted to let loose his anger on someone and couldn't do it to Archie because Regina already did."

"You're just pointing fingers at him, David." argued the were-wolf, "I can't believe the two of you. All Nicholas had ever done was help us. He didn't have to risk everything when Regina was after Snow and he could have easily sided with Cora when the three of you were in the Enchanted Forest. Why would he just go out and kill someone for no reason?"

"We have witnesses for Nicholas, a motive for Regina and both of their files are empty, Red. That's-that's a lot of evidence." David stressed.

"Maybe that's the point." Emma realized.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know how it is in Fairy Tale Land, but in the real world, it's usually hard to find evidence. But this has been way too easy, unless someone wants us to find evidence." Emma explained.

"So you think they were framed?" Snow asked.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time that happened in this town." Ruby reminded looking at her friend.

"Who would want to frame them?" David asked.

"Regarding Regina, that's a long list, present company included." Snow remarked.

"What about Nicholas?" Emma asked, "Did he have any enemies before the curse hit?" Everyone was silent as they thought of their answers. "Well, did he?"

"I don't think anyone really knows, Emma." Snow replied, "Nicholas never really interacted with people back home."

"Anywhere else?" she asked.

"It's hard to say." Ruby shrugged, "Maybe someone he met when he wasn't in the Enchanted Forest."

"Where else was that? That kingdom he used to live in?" Emma asked.

"That's impossible." Ruby denied, "Everyone from that kingdom is dead."

"How the hell did that happen?"

"No one knows." David replied, "All we know is that Nicholas was once a slave in the desert kingdom of Xerxes and everyone, aside from him, was killed in a single night."

"How could an entire kingdom be wiped out in just one night?"

"It's like David said, nobody knows. The only person who survived was Nicholas and he's never told anyone." Snow explained.

"Not even me." Red added, "He hates talking about his past. I mean, you can't really blame him; he was a slave for ten years. The only person we know of who hates Nicholas is the same person who would go so far as to kill someone just to frame him and Regina."

"Gold." nodded the blonde. Needless to say, they stormed over to the pawn shop for answers and found Gold and Belle getting ready to leave for a picnic.

"Nothing warms the heart more than a family reunited." he remarked, "You have your mother's chin, Ms. Swan."

"We know that you killed them." Emma accused.

"And your father's tact."

"Someone's dead?" asked Belle.

"Dr. Hopper and a little girl named Susan Cline." Emma replied.

"Why on earth would you think I had anything to do with either of those?" Gold asked.

"Because all the evidence points to Regina and Nicholas."

"And they're not possibly capable of doing something so vile?" Belle asked.

"I know Nicholas isn't." Ruby defended, "It's a frame job."

"It wouldn't be the first time you used someone to try and hurt her." Snow reminded.

"Nice to see your memory's still intact, dearie." smirked the dark one, "But this time, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to disappoint you. It wasn't me."

"Why should we believe you?" David scoffed.

"Because I can prove it. Ask the witnesses." he said.

"No one was there to see Archie's death." Emma snapped.

"Well, that's not strictly true, now is it?"

Not much later, David returned to the shop with Pongo, the witness. "Unless you speak dog, how is Pongo going to tell us anything?" Emma asked.

"Through magic, of course." Gold simply replied, "It won't allow us to communicate, but it will allow us to…extract his memories."

"Extract?" David asked.

"You don't have to worry. He won't feel a thing."

"Why should we trust you?" Emma asked, "Couldn't you just as easily use magic to fool us?"

"Because I'm not gonna be the one using magic. You are."

"Me? How?"

"You have it within you. Told me so yourself." Gold replied as he pulled out a dreamcatcher.

"Emma, you don't have to do this." Snow reminded.

"If it tells us something about who really killed Archie and Susan, so be it. I'm not going to give up on my friend until I know for sure what happened." Emma replied.

"Now do you know what this is?" Gold asked as he held up the dreamcatcher.

"A dreamcatcher."

"Well," he chuckled as he held it over the dog's head, "It's capable of catching so much more."

"What is that?" Belle asked as the dreamcatcher glowed.

"Memories. Now, Ms. Swan, you show us how." he said as he gave it to Emma.

"How? It's just a jumble."

"Will it. Will it, and we shall all see." Gold explained.

As Emma focused her magic, everyone was able to see Regina choke the life out of Archie. Snow looked away as the sight of her friend being killed was too much for her. After that memory ended, it changed to where Pongo was looking out a window and saw Nicholas shoot little Susan with a sickening grin before turning into a rat.

"It can't be." Ruby denied as tears formed in her eyes, "It just can't be. That can't be Nicholas."

"Hate to burst your bubble, dearie." Gold said, "But there's no mistaking it. That's alchemy. And last I checked, Mr. Mills is the only resident alchemist in Storybrooke."

"You were right all along." Emma exhaled to her parents.

"I'm sorry." David said to them before Emma stormed out, "Emma. Wait. Where are you going?"

"To get Regina and Nicholas." she huffed.

"Well, can we talk about this?" asked Snow.

"What's there to talk about? They killed Archie and that little girl. Now they've gotta pay."

"Emma, how do you plan on doing that?" Snow asked, "Regina has her powers back here and Nicholas is just as dangerous."

"Yeah, well, you just saw what happened. I have my own." she replied as she continued to storm over to the house.

"Yeah. You have something, but you don't even know what the hell to do with it, and now you're gonna go take on the most powerful people in town, one of which isn't even capable of being wounded?" David asked.

"Excuse me. Weren't you both the ones who've been pushing on the 'it's Regina and Nicholas' kick the whole time?" she asked hotly. Red didn't say a word; she was too in shock from what she saw. "You should be happy you were right."

"We may be right, but I also know that going after them without a plan is a mistake." Snow retorted.

"So what do we do?"

"Even if the dwarves construct a cell to hold them, we need a way to contain their alchemy and magic until then." explained David.

"How?" Emma asked, "Nicholas is practically impervious to magic and no one here has any idea about how to counter against his alchemy."

"What about the new batch of Fairy Dust Leroy talked about?" Ruby asked.

"Will that stop them?" Emma asked.

"It's stopped Regina before. Hopefully, it will do the same to Nicholas. The problem is, they'll see us coming." David said.

"Leave that to me." Emma reassured, "Trust me, we're locking them up."

As they made it to the mayor's house, Ruby decided to go back to her own home; the thought of seeing the man she loved after what was revealed in the dreamcatcher was too much for her. Emma knocked on the door and waited for the siblings to open it.

"Ms. Swan." Regina greeted as she and her parents glared at her and Nicholas, "I assume you're here to apologize to my brother and I."

"I saw you do it." Emma informed getting to the point.

"What?" Nicholas asked.

"I saw it. You choked the life out of Archie and splattered Susan's brains out on the pavement."

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked, "How is that even possible?"

"Magic." David answered.

"I saw what happened, and it was you. Both of you." Emma repeated.

"Gold." Nicholas growled, "He helped you. Emma, you're going to trust him, of all people, over me? Your friend? He's probably the one behind all of this."

"We didn't trust him." Snow corrected, "That's why Emma used magic instead."

"…You can use magic?" Regina asked as Emma smirked, "The Savior. Of course."

"I assume Gold warned you, then." Nicholas speculated.

"About what?"

"That magic always comes with a price." Regina replied.

"Yeah? Well, that's a price all three of us are gonna pay." Emma replied.

"How's that?"

"Henry and Ruby. They believed in you; especially you, Nicholas. Her heart is already broken. Henry's is gonna be the next to break." Emma replied causing the alchemist's pupils to dilate.

"No." Nicholas growled, "I will not let you poison Henry against us. And I especially won't let any of you do that to Red."

"It's an interesting word choice, since you and your sister already did." she said smugly.

"We want to see him." Regina demanded as they were hot on Emma's tail as she walked away.

"He deserves to hear our sides of the story!" Nicholas yelled, "He's my nephew and her son!"

"He's not! He's mine!" Emma shouted in anger, "And after this, neither of you are getting anywhere near him. Do it!"

As she shouted this, Mother Superior came from behind a tree and fired a blast of magic at the siblings. Regina deflected it, but Nicholas was struck in the face causing him to cry out in pain and agony as he rolled on the ground clutching his face.

"Aah!" he cried, "It burns! It burns us! It freezes us!" he shouted as a hole on the left side of his face was visible. Emma and her parents gasped at the sight, mostly because where Nicholas's left eye once was, a hole showing a swirling tempest of screaming red faces could be seen and heard.

"Take it off us!" he cried to his sister who did so with a wave of her hand.

"Nicholas…what are you?" Emma asked only hear her former friend roar at her as he healed.

"How dare you attack my brother?" Regina snarled, "You will not keep Henry away from us." she said as she pushed Emma back with her magic, "So much for Fairy Dust."

"Maybe some of your newfound magic can save you now." Nicholas bitterly suggested.

"I don't need it. I already won." Emma replied as her parents helped her up, "There is no way Henry or Ruby will swallow either of your lies about Archie and Susan now. You can pretend all you want, but we know how you two are and who you will always be. The Evil Queen and her brother."

Neither sibling said anything. Regina just threw up her hands and disappeared in a puff of smoke while Nicholas deconstructed himself and transported him to wherever his sister went. Later that day, Regina watched how Emma told Henry what she believed to be the truth behind Archie and Susan's deaths while Nicholas did the same as a bird on a phone line. He even watched as Snow held Ruby as she sobbed over her heartbreak.

As night fell, Hook was sharpening his namesake as Cora approached him at the dock. "You're back." he observed, "So did you get what you wanted?"

"Yes. My children have lost everything now."

"Ah. Well, aren't you mom of the year?" he teased.

"I did what was needed." Cora replied.

"And that included killing an innocent child?"

"I had nothing to do with that unfortunate event." Cora defended, "I don't know who did it, but someone impersonated my son and framed him for her murder."

"Well, I guess we'll just call that one hell of a coincidence." shrugged the pirate, "And how's about what I need? You promised you'd help me get my revenge on Rumplestiltskin."

"And I've already started. Or didn't you notice the little gift I left you in the hold of your ship?" Cora asked with a sweet, yet, evil grin.

"A gift? What is it?"

"Not what. Who." Cora corrected as they boarded the invisible ship. In the crew's quarters, Hook opened one of the cargo holds to see who Cora was referring to.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Someone privy to Storybrooke's deepest secrets, including Rumpelstiltskin's, someone who can help us determine his weaknesses here. Can't you, Dr. Hopper?" Cora asked the captive shrink.

"If that's him, then who did you kill?" Hook asked.

"How do I know?" Cora bluntly asked, "It's my first day in town."

"You disguised the body to look like him." Hook realized, "If death wasn't punishment enough. Marvelous work."

"Thank you." smiled Cora, "Now you'll have all the knowledge you'll need. It may take some work, but this cricket will chirp."

"Aye. That he will."

 **Yep. Nicholas has been framed for murder by the person who clearly shares a past with him. Who could he be and why does his son posses the same transformation ability as Nicholas? And what will he do now that everyone he thought were his friends have now turned against him? Find out in the next chapter of The Evil Queen's Brother.**


	18. The Slave

**Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, its characters or anything else not originally created by me. Enjoy!**

Several days had passed since the Charmings confronted Nicholas and his sister; he hadn't shown his face ever since he watched Snow White turn Ruby against him. He especially didn't know was that Cora was in town with a quest to find Rumplestiltskin's dagger.

The young alchemist was heartbroken. Everyone he thought were his friends turned against him thanks to the words spoken by Snow White and Prince Charming; worst of all, the woman he loved and the boy who had been the son he never had were against him as well. True, he knew that Regina wasn't the one who killed Archie and that someone impersonated him, too. Only thing was, no one knew who it was.

But Nicholas did. He knew without a doubt who was behind framing him for that child's murder; but it still didn't put an end to the pain he felt every day since his best friend accused him of such a thing. And the worst part, even though he knew who it was, he couldn't do anything about it. Not yet and not for a long time to come.

Emma and Ruby searched for him for days, but they could never find him. As for the two people who instantly declared him guilty without a second thought, the two people he saved and helped countless times out of the goodness of his heart, they did nothing. Ever since they betrayed him, Nicholas has simply sat in one of his underground laboratories, wallowing in his misery.

One night as he sat alone, he heard the sound of Ruby calling out to him from the other side of the entrance. Desperate to feel the warmth of his one true love, Nicholas opened the door and pulled Ruby into his arms.

"Ruby, please believe me." he begged as tears formed in his eyes, "I had nothing to do with that child's murder. I was framed. So was Regina."

"I know. I always knew." she replied as she broke away from the hug.

"You did? How?" he asked.

"Simple." Red shrugged before becoming enveloped in blue smoke, "Because I framed Regina." she said as her real appearance was shown; Cora's.

"Mother." Nicholas whispered fearfully, "You…I thought we stopped you. How did you come here?"

"Determination." Cora replied, "I had to come here for you and your sister. I needed to tell the both of you that I know why you sent me through the looking glass. And I know why you tried to have me killed. And it's…" as Cora said this, Nicholas slowly covered his arms with his shield just below his wrists. "It's alright."

"I think it's not alright." he argued in spite.

"I love you, son. I love you and your sister so much. I just…I've always shown it in all the wrong ways. I never should have made Regina marry the king…and I never should have let you out of my sight that day. I'm so sorry." Cora admitted as tears formed in both her own eyes and Nicholas's as well. "When the two of you cried over my coffin, it…it all changed."

"…Did you even look for me?" Nicholas asked as the tears finally rolled down his face, "With all your power…how were you unable to find your only son?"

"Sweetheart, I did everything I could to find you. It took me years to find the one thing that could show me where you were. All I needed was to use my blood, but I thought the magic was wrong. I saw two people in the same place sharing your blood. You…you have no idea the pain that went through me every time I failed."

"Oh, I have no idea?!" Nicholas asked hotly, "I was a slave! I was labeled and sold to hungry looking people like I was a piece of meat in a butcher's shop. I was lower than dirt for ten years of my life! I was lashed with a hot whip every time I so much as looked at my master's guests without their permission. I was raised to only ever answer to the number I was given. I don't even know my real name and you have the gall to tell me about pain?" he cried, "You're the one who has no idea of the pain I went through, Mother. And now you tell me that you're the one who framed Regina for the cricket?"

"Temporarily," she nodded with guilt, "So she could see what these people really think of her."

"…Did you frame me, too?" he asked through his teeth.

"Nicholas-"

"Did you kill that child?!" he screamed.

"No. I had nothing to do with that."

"That bastard!" he hissed confusing his mother before simmering down, even just barely. "It doesn't matter. You're coming with me. We're going to town."

"It's the middle of the night." Cora reasoned.

"Like I give a damn." Nicholas spat, "I'll wake them up if I have to and you…you are going to tell them that it was you who framed Regina. Emma and Henry and the two idiots, they all need to know that you lied. You owe us that much."

"And then the three of us can start over?" she asked with hope.

"I doubt that Regina would be willing to agree to that once she learns the truth, Mother. And right now…neither do I. Even if I can't clear my name, Regina deserves to be given that. She has worked so hard to be worthy of Henry; I don't care who it is, but if anyone tries to prevent that, I will put an end to it."

"Of course." nodded Cora as Nicholas turned to open the door, "For you and your sister, Abba, anything."

"…What did you say?" he softly asked as he looked at his tearful mother.

"Abba." she repeated, "That's your real name. Regina used to call you Abby when you were just a baby."

Nicholas said nothing as he trembled as the tears returned. He finally knew his real name. After decades of using the name given to him by who he thought was his friend, he at last knew who he was. He was Abba.

"…This changes…nothing." he hissed pointing his finger at her, "You're still coming with me to town. And we're going to get Regina first."

"Oh, there's no need for that. She's waiting for us in the carriage outside." Cora informed as she walked out of the lab causing Nicholas to shake his head and sigh.

"Of course she is."

 **OUaT**

In the desert kingdom of Xerxes, a young slave with brown hair and eyes softly napped in one of the storage rooms owned by his master which he was supposed to be cleaning. He was covered in dirt and wore a filthy white toga with slave sandals. As he sat on a crate with a broom in his hands in silence, a small voice filled the room.

"Young man~" it called only to see that the slave was still sleeping, "Hey! You there!" it exclaimed waking him up.

"Oh, no!" he panicked.

"It's alright." the voice reassured. The boy looked around the room and saw that no one was there; just a small, round flask that had two corked spouts that had a black mass inside. "Look. Over here." it called showing that it was whatever was inside the flask.

"Um, yeah?"

"Hey, now. Can't you at least bring yourself to act a little surprised or something?"

"What do I get for acting surprised?"

"Hmm, you show no fear. I like that. What's your name?"

"I'm number twenty-three."

"Not your number. I want you to tell me your real name."

"I'm a slave. I don't have one. Besides, my master's made me forget the name I had before he bought me."

"A slave?" it asked, "You mean a person without any rights or freedoms? Someone trafficked and dated as a possession?"

"Dated? What's that?"

"It's when a piece of property is transferred to another person." it said only confusing the slave even more, "Seems you're not all that bright, are you?" it chuckled.

"Hey! Get out of here!" the slave shouted hotly.

"How could I possibly have been born from someone as stupid as you?" it sighed.

"Hmm?"

"You are the one who gave me blood, right?" it asked as the slave looked at the bandage on his left forearm.

"I guess so. He said he was going to use it for an experiment."

"I exist today because you gave me your blood. Thank you." it said humbly, "Let's see…number 23 isn't going to cut it. I think I'll give you a name of your own."

"Give me a name? Who are you?"

"You'll want a noble sounding one, right? Let's see…Theo! Theo Frastus Bombastus."

"That's too long." he complained.

"Uh? Oh, yeah, you're not that smart. Maybe we shouldn't put too many syllables in it."

"Hey, you! I'm plenty smart!"

"Well, how about Nicholas? Nicholas Flamel. How does that sound?" it suggested.

"So Nicholas Flamel, huh? I think I can remember that."

"It's spelled-oh. You don't know how to read and write, do you?"

"I don't need to read and write to do my work." Flamel snapped.

"Your slave work." it retorted calmly, "Don't you even want freedom? Are you going to live the rest of your life as a slave, without the rights of a real man? In that case you're no different from me; trapped inside this stuffy flask. Let me teach you, Nicholas Flamel." it offered.

"Hey," Flamel asked as his voice trembled, "Who are you? What are you? What do I call you?"

As he asked this, the mass in the flask sprouted arms, revealed that it had a mouth and one large eye with a scarlet iris. It smiled and said, "I'll tell you what, Nicholas Flamel. You can call me, The Dwarf in the Flask, Homunculus."

 **OUaT**

As the family of three drove through town in awkward silence, Cora fidgeted nervously while Nicholas sat on her right and Regina on her left as she drove the car. "Nervous?" Regina asked.

"Not owning up to what I've done." Cora clarified, "It's just these carriages are strange. And something's irritating me." she chuckled before pulling out an old, red handprint mold Henry made when he was in kindergarten. "Oh. Oh. 'For Mommy and Unky.' Oh, that used to be you two."

"When were you in our house?" Nicholas dryly asked.

"I haven't had the pleasure." Cora lied while looking at the mold.

"That was in our house." Regina retorted, "You think we don't know where that was? It's one of my treasured possessions."

"Ditto." Nicholas muttered.

"Well, let's be honest. Taking me to be pilloried by the town might gain you some points, but as long as Emma and her parents are here, he's not really yours." lectured Cora, "Not like he was when he made things for his Mommy and Unky. You've been too bad for too long, honey, and now they see you as…as snakes."

"I know she doesn't know about my tattoo, but that's kinda ironic for me." Nicholas thought with dry humor as he stared out the window.

"You don't want their love at all. What do you want?" Cora asked as Regina pulled over.

"My son back." she replied.

"My nephew and true love back." Nicholas said.

"And I want my children back. I meant everything I said earlier. I am so sorry. I can do better. I won't push you away again. Let me into your hearts. Together, we can get him back again."

Cora's words touched her children. So much that they rested their heads on her shoulders and allowed themselves to feel the love and warmth of their mother. "How?" Regina asked.

"Oh, I have a few thoughts."

 **OUaT**

Weeks had passed since the Homunculus began to teach Flamel. At first it was just reading and writing, but Flamel wanted to learn more. Soon mathematics and multiple forms of science were added to his secret lessons; he even eventually began to teach some of his fellow slaves some of the basics when they weren't working. Soon his master caught wind of this and became interested in the sudden increase in knowledge displayed by his property; so much that he acknowledged his new name and took him on as his alchemy student.

After a year and a half of intense training, Flamel was finally being put to the final test; he would truly be tested to see if he was a true alchemist.

"All things are made from One. And in the end, all things return to one." Flamel's master explained.

"In other words: One is All." Flamel replied. He had grown in many ways since meeting the Dwarf in the Flask. Since he was favored by his master, he had been given special treatment. He had better meals, clean, more expensive clothes, built his body to a slim yet muscular physique and was even made his master's assistant. To clarify, his master was the king's personal alchemist and member of his court.

"Indeed, and All is One, as well."

"All is ultimately of the One. So if All is not included in the One then all is nothing." Flamel said wisely.

"You have passed." his master declared as he held the Homunculus in his flask, "You are now an alchemist, Flamel. Well done, child."

"I'm still only fit to be an assistant. My skills are nowhere near yours, Master."

Little did either alchemist know, the Dwarf in the Flask softly giggled evilly. Later that day, the two friends stared out at the sunset from the balcony of their home.

"I'm grateful to you." Flamel said out of the blue smiling.

"Oh? For what?" the dwarf asked.

"I live as well as I do now because of the knowledge you gave me. And I've also earned the master's respect. Thanks to you maybe someday I'll even be able to leave this country and go home."

"Home? You weren't born a slave here?" the Homunculus asked.

"Have you ever seen someone in any parts of these lands with hair and eyes like mine?" Flamel asked cheekily.

"Okay, okay." he said playfully with an eye roll, "So if you weren't born here where do you come from then?"

"I was born in a place called the Enchanted Forest; though, some people call it Misthaven." Flamel explained, "If I can just get out of this desert, I can take a ship from Arendelle and get back. Who knows? I could probably meet a beautiful girl along the way and maybe marry her and have a family."

"A family?" the Homunculus asked, "How inconvenient for you humans. Unless you form communities and breed, your species can't continue to exist."

"Don't call it breeding." Flamel snickered, "And whether or not it's a concept you understand, that's where humans find happiness. We live for the bonds that we form with friends and family members. That's who we humans are."

"Sure. Whatever you say." Homunculus said unimpressed.

"Okay, then. What is it that makes you happy?" Flamel asked.

"Well…I'd hate to be guilty of asking too much, but I think I could be happy if I could just leave this flask."

 **OUaT**

The following day, Nicholas went with Cora to Hook's ship while Regina went to the Charming's loft in hopes to (civilly) bring Henry back. "So why exactly have you brought me here?" Nicholas asked.

"To introduce you to someone." Cora sweetly replied as she pulled a tarp off a crate next to her. Inside the cage, a large unconscious man sat peacefully.

"And this is…"

"The giant your friend Emma dealt with back in our land."

"You've shrunk him." Nicholas observed, "Why?"

"So he can play his part for what I have planned. I'm sure you're aware of what the giants' responsibility was back when there was more than him, yes?"

"Yes, the giants were the ones who grew the portal beans which they destroyed when Prince James attacked them shortly before he was killed and replaced by Charming."

"Very good."

"So you're saying that you want him to get on Snow and David's good side so he can live here and eventually regrow the beans?"

"Yes. And once he does, the means of traveling through realms will once again be possible. All we need to do is wait for Snow and Charming to find him and set him free." Cora explained.

"Question. How are they going to find him if he's on an invisible ship?"

"Hook." she answered, "He'll lead them here and once our friend sets eyes on Charming, he'll believe he's his brother and go on a rampage."

"Kinda hard to go on a rampage when you're only about five-foot ten, don't you think?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh, don't worry." Cora chuckled, "Regina will take care of that later. And then, we can continue our search."

"About that," he said hesitantly, "I'm not exactly sure I want to be in on this, Mother."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"May I ask why?"

"Well, no offense, Mother, but you're not exactly a guest here in Storybrooke. And while I am still pissed off at everyone…there's someone I want to at least try to stay clean for."

"This Ruby girl you mentioned." Cora recalled, "You care for her, then?"

"More than anything. She believed in me. Even when her oldest and closest friends accused me without a second thought, she defended me."

"It didn't seem like she was on your side when the others confronted you and your sister." she chuckled.

"She saw my imposter use alchemy and as far as everyone in this town knows, I am the only one who can use alchemy." Nicholas retorted, "In any case, I'm going into town to talk with her." he informed as he left the dock.

Now since he was still considered guilty of killing that little girl, Nicholas made the smart choice and disguised himself as he headed towards the diner. As he walked in, he spotted Ruby talking with Snow in a booth. Even though he was still angry with the princess, he wanted to hear what they had to say and sat behind her in another booth as he pretended to read a newspaper.

"So Regina really was innocent?" Ruby asked in shock while Snow nodded, "Then if she was framed by Cora, then Nicholas must've been framed too."

"Maybe. But we have no way of knowing if that's true or not." Snow argued, but Ruby wasn't listening.

"I have to find him." she exhaled.

"Ruby, wait. I-I don't think you should look for Nicholas."

"You better choose your words carefully, Blanchard." Nicholas thought in anger," Or else you just might find yourself a new enemy."

"Snow, what are you talking about? How could you even say that?" she asked.

"Ruby…Nicholas is dangerous. He-he can't be trusted." Snow explained, "He's hiding something from us. When we were about to go through the portal, Cora tried to rip my heart out. Nicholas got in the way and made Cora tear his out. Only it wasn't a heart…it was a stone, Ruby."

"A stone?" she asked only to see her friend nod, "But-wh-what does that even mean? How can he have a stone instead of a heart?"

"I don't know. Cora called it the Philosopher's Stone. Apparently, it's what gives him his immortality and powers."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ruby snapped.

"It has to do with that he's been keeping secrets from us. Red, we have shared everything with each and every one of our friends, including Nicholas. And yet, here he is keeping all of this hidden from us. Who knows what else he may be hiding?"

"Snow, just because you've been willing to talk about your past with people who'll sometimes tell you about theirs doesn't mean that anyone who doesn't give their life stories are evil. Nicholas has done nothing but help us for years. I can't believe that you of all people are jumping the gun on this when he was the one who freed Kathryn and cleared your name."

"Even so, unless he tells us what that stone in his chest is, we can't trust him."

"…I don't believe what I'm hearing. Snow, you're treating the man I love like a criminal when you don't even know all the facts." Ruby said in shock, "The only reason you're saying this is because of who his mother and sister are."

"Maybe. But I can tell you this, if Cora and Regina were able to fall so far, what's to stop Nicholas?" Snow asked.

"His friends not accusing him of murder would be a start." she shot back.

"Ruby, you saw what Emma showed us in the dream catcher-"

"We saw Cora make it look like Regina killed Archie and according to him, that was a lie. Are you seriously so narrow minded that you aren't even going to acknowledge or consider that someone else could have made themselves look like Nicholas and kill that girl?"

"No, I'm not. And I'm also not letting my personal feelings get in the way of my judgement." Snow replied snootily, "Just think about what I've said, Ruby. And remember, if he did lie, then he lied to you, too."

"Oh, yeah," Nicholas thought bluntly as Snow walked past him, "That bitch is going down."

Even though he was still in disguise, Nicholas was about to go over to talk to his girlfriend but stopped when he saw the conflicted look on her face. It was then that he knew that Snow managed to plant her seed of doubt in Ruby's head. Thankfully, she didn't notice him which gave him the chance to leave. As he walked down the street, the town was in chaos as the giant (now fully sized) went on a rampage. With the sound of chaos and terror ringing through the air, Nicholas gave a smirk similar to one his sister would give in similar situations.

"So Snow White wants to learn about my immortality, huh?" Nicholas asked in his head, "Oh, Snow. If you really knew what I went through, you'd wish you had never developed a since of curiosity."

 **OUaT**

"Immortality?" Homunculus asked. He was currently in his flask, as always, on a pedestal before the king of Xerxes with two of his alchemists before him looking at the dwarf; Flamel was nowhere in sight. "Why would someone with such power and prosperity need such a thing?" it asked innocently.

"Watch your tongue!" Flamel's master shouted, "You are in the royal presence. If you continue with this insolence, I will smash your flask!"

"You wouldn't dare to destroy such an important source of knowledge." Homunculus shot back calling the man's bluff.

"That's enough chatter." the king interrupted, "Immortality. Tell me, is it possible or isn't it?"

"Growing impatient in your old age? How lamentable, King of Xerxes." Homunculus taunted. At the sight of the grumbling and glaring king, he smirked before giving his answer, "Okay, I'll tell you how you can achieve immortality."

A few weeks had passed since the secret meeting and the plan for the king's immortality had been set in motion. In order to give the king such a gift, a nationwide trench in the form of a circle was carved around the kingdom and five crests of blood needed to be made in the form of a pentagon. To clarify, a crest of blood was a large point of manslaughter which took place in five of the kingdom's villages.

Two years had passed since the circle and first crest of blood were carved. On the night the preparations were completed, Flamel carried his friend as he walked with his master and fellow assistant into the king's bedchamber.

"Majesty," Flamel's master said, "At long last, your transmutation circle is complete."

"Took long enough." the king scoffed, "Finally, it's done. This is it? Everything is ready?" he asked the Homunculus.

"Yes. You may now become immortal." he replied. Once they had all moved into the throne room, the king did as he was instructed and added his own blood into the chalice that would begin the transmutation.

"Incredible." Flamel saw in awe as he held the Homunculus and watched the king, "The king will achieve immortality."

As he said this, black smoke rose from the chalice as the room turned red.

"Yes, this is an amazing moment, indeed." agreed the dwarf. All around the room, streams of black hands rose from the ground; their sight frightening the nobles.

"This is immortality? No, no, you must be wrong." the king argued as his two alchemists suddenly began to choke and drop to the floor. "I don't understand it." he said before choking himself, "You said if we were in the center of the circle, we wouldn't be harmed!"

As the monarch dropped to the ground, Flamel, the only one feeling fine, looked at the bodies in shock. "What the-wh-what's going on here?" he asked, "Hey, Homunculus!" he shouted at the grinning artificial life.

He turned to him and said, "The true center of the transmutation circle is right here where you're standing."

"It is?"

"Surely you remember your blood is within me. I used it to open the doorway." Homunculus explained in excitement, "Blood brother of mine, Nicholas Flamel. Right now, you and I are at the center of everything!"

It was then, beneath his feet, that Flamel saw an enormous eye with a gray iris open in the floor. It then rose from the floor and engulfed not only Flamel and his friend, but the entire palace until it rose and grew outside. The entire night sky turned red as blood while more hands sprouted all over the country, all within the boundaries of the circle as the kingdom's people screamed in terror. Within a matter of moments, a circular wave of energy erupted from the eye and silenced the screaming just before the dozens of hands dived into the pupil.

Inside the eye's white void, Flamel was screaming in fear and pain as both he, and the smiling Homunculus were deconstructed. In an instant, Flamel found himself standing in another white void with a tall stone gate behind him. He turned and realized that the design represented his tree of life. Unique in its own design representing his self and his own unique style of alchemy. Feeling the presence of another, Flamel turned around and saw a white figure with a black outline as tall as him, and grinning madly.

He looked at the figure in fear as he heard the gate open. Inside, the eye that engulfed him lurked in the darkness as more hands pulled him in and fed him knowledge he never dreamed of learning; his head felt like it would split, explode and melt all at once. But a second later, he was back standing before the gate before being pulled out of the void and faded into darkness.

 **OUaT**

The day after the giant's attack, Cora's prediction came true, he was accepted into the community and worked with the dwarves to bring back the beans. However, it wasn't until after Regina came back did they learn that Gold and Emma were in New York looking for his son with Henry.

"I don't see why I'm the one who has to dig for this stupid dagger." Nicholas complained as he shoveled the earth where Cora (now dressed like her daughter) and Regina believed the dagger to be located.

"As a gentleman, you should be thrilled to help to women with physical labor." Regina smirked.

"Regina," he said dryly, "A man is only ever a gentleman to women when he's trying to impress them and gain their attention and affection. Are you absolutely sure this where we're supposed to dig?"

"Yes. Hook marked it clearly." Regina replied, "Rumplestiltskin's dagger is here."

"Unless Hook lied to us." Cora speculated.

"Well, then that map is absolutely useless to us." Nicholas sighed as he stood in the hole, "Gold's the only one who can translate it."

"I thought alchemists were skilled in code?" Regina asked.

"Written code regarding research notes and texts, sister dear. Whereas treasure maps go, not exactly my area of expertise."

"Oh, don't you worry, dears." Cora reassured, "Hook could've saved us a lot of effort with honesty, but the truth is, we don't need anyone. I can reconstruct the map. It'll just take a bit more time."

"Then what the hell am I standing in this hole for?" Nicholas muttered as he jumped out.

"And when we find it, I promise you, I'll use that dagger to force the dark one to kill anyone you like." Cora finished saying it as though she was offering her children a gift. Little did they know, Snow witnessed the whole discussion.

A couple of hours later, Cora and Regina kept their eyes on Snow and David hoping they would lead them to the true hiding place of the dagger while Nicholas went over to Granny's. He had received a text from Ruby saying she wanted to talk. As he walked in, he spotted his one true love sitting in a booth showing no clear emotion.

"Hey," he softly greeted.

"Hey." she said back.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes. Nicholas…Snow told me the truth." she informed.

"Oh? Regarding what?" he asked.

"About your Philosopher's Stone…and that you've been helping Cora and Regina."

"…I see." was all Nicholas could say. "And what exactly did she have to say about me spending time with my family?"

"She said that you're helping them look for Rumplestiltskin's dagger and that you plan on getting it for your mother."

"Huh." chuckled the alchemist, "So little princess Snow thinks she's got everything figured out again, does she?" he asked himself out loud.

"Nicholas, is that true?" Ruby asked, "Are you helping Cora?"

"…Yes. I am helping Cora look for the dagger."

"Why? Nicholas, after everything your mother has done, why are you helping her?"

"I think the better question is, why is it that the supposed 'heroes' of this town are defending someone who has literally tormented the people of our lands for centuries?" he countered, "Ruby, the only reason I'm doing this is because I want to see what my mother and sister plan to do once they get their hands on the dagger. I don't care what happens to Gold. And I especially don't care if David and Snow disapprove of my actions now that I know that they were never truly my friends."

"What about me? Why didn't you come to me sooner?"

"Because the last time I tried to do that very thing, Snow beat me to the punch and tried to turn you against me with her own cynical and consisted senses of good and evil."

"…You were listening in on us?" she asked.

"No. I was actually sitting where you are because I wanted to know what Snow had to say about me." Nicholas corrected, "And when I saw the conflicted look on your face, I decided to give you some time to think things over."

"If you heard what we talked about…then are you?" she asked choking on her words.

"Am I what?" he asked as his anger grew.

"Are you not telling me everything?"

"Ruby…you know I don't like to talk about my past." he gently reminded as he tried to hold her hand only to see her pull it away. "We all have skeletons in our closets, Red. Me more than anyone else in this town."

"I understand that. Really, I do. But why would you help the same woman who framed not only your sister, but you too?" Ruby asked.

"My mother did not frame me, Ruby. I know who did and I know why."

"Then tell me." she immediately demanded.

"What?"

"Tell me who did it and we can finally put all of this behind us."

"I don't think that's possible right now, Ruby." he argued, "The only two people in town who defended me at first were you and Emma. Everyone who I thought were my friends did nothing. And worst of all, the people who threw me under the bus without a moment's hesitation were the two I helped the most simply because it was the right thing to do. I don't know about you, but I can't forgive that after only a couple of days. And about the person who framed me, the one who really killed that child…I can't say who it was."

"What?" Red asked baffled, "Why not?"

"I just can't." he said sadly.

"Nicholas, I know it wasn't you. But we can't let someone who killed an innocent child get away." she argued.

"I know. But there's nothing you can do." he shot down, "Believe me, no one wants to catch this bastard more than I…but we just can't right now."

"…Are you defending this person?" she asked softly.

"No. But I am saying that…for the time being…forget about what's happened."

"How could you even say that?" Ruby asked as Nicholas just sat there and sighed, "I don't believe what I'm hearing. Mary Margaret was right. You are hiding things from me."

"No," he said fearfully as he saw the look in her eyes, "No, no, no, baby, listen to me. I can't tell you-I'm trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what, Nicholas?" she snapped, "Some secret from your past you won't even tell your own girlfriend? You know what? If you're just going to do nothing but keep secrets and lie to me…I-I-I don't think I can do this."

"Ruby, what are you saying?" Nicholas asked as dread filled his stomach.

"I think you know." she said as she finally began to cry.

"No." he denied, "No, no, no, no, no! This can't be it. This can't end just because Mary Margaret got inside your head. Ruby, please-I-"

"Don't say it." Ruby cut off.

"I lo-"

"Don't say it!" she cried. The whole diner was silent as the couple stared at each other with tears in their eyes. "It's over, Nicholas. We're done." Ruby finally said as she grabbed her purse and got out of the diner as fast as she could while crying.

A storm of emotions filled Nicholas as he sat in his booth. It didn't take long for one emotion to rise above all the others; anger. Anger specifically directed at Snow White and Prince Charming.

 **OUaT**

It wasn't until daybreak when Flamel regained consciousness. "Majesty!" he called out, only the king was nowhere in sight; the same could be said for the Homunculus, only his broken flask was on the ground.

Seeing his master sprawled on the floor, Flamel went over to him to see if he was alright. But when he checked his pulse, he found that his master was dead; the same could be said for the countless bodies he saw and passed as he trudged through the palace, calling out the names of his friends hoping someone would call back to him.

Once he made it outside, Flamel saw all the citizens littered everywhere in sight. "Somebody…there must be someone left." Flamel pleaded in shock as he stared at all the corpses.

"It's no use." a deep voice said from behind him, "All of their souls have been taken from them."

Flamel turned to look at the person but could only see his robes due to the sun's glare. Recognizing them as the king's, he immediately bowed to him.

"Majesty, are you alright?"

"Tell me," he said as Flamel was finally able to see his face only to see literally HIS face! He was paler and had bleached brown hair. "Your body? How is it feeling?"

"It's me." Flamel gasped, "Impossible."

"Using your blood, I created a receptacle for myself. Nice. Finally, I can walk on my own two legs."

"Are you…the Homunculus in the flask?" Flamel asked as he made the connection, "What's going on here? What is this? What have you done?!" he asked hotly.

"To thank you for your blood, I have given you a name and I've given you knowledge and now I have given you a body that will live forever." he explained with a grateful smile; clearly, he had no idea the severity of his actions.

"I'm immortal?" Flamel whispered.

"Focus your attention within yourself, Flamel." the Homunculus instructed. Flamel did so and clutched his head in absolute fear as the sound of hundreds of thousands of voices crying inside him. "You hear them, don't you? The voices of all the people in this country who were exchanged for your immortality. Well, half of their lives were for me, actually. I wouldn't get used to it if I were you. They'll fade away in time. Thank you for your cooperation, Flamel."

Instead of responding to what the Homunculus said, Flamel cried out in anguish.

 **OUaT**

After leaving the diner, Nicholas stormed to the library and made his way to the spiral staircase leading to the clock where the dagger was hidden. As he walked in, he could hear his family talking to the Charmings as a gun dropped at his feet. With a hate-filled look on his face, Nicholas used his alchemy to create a platform that brought him up to the level everyone was on.

"Sorry I'm late." he apologized looking at the group, "I just had a pretty heartbreaking ordeal."

"Nicholas." Snow said in shock. As he looked at them, he saw Snow holding the dagger and his sister holding the heart of Johanna, Snow's old handmaid.

"Glad to see you make it to the party, little brother." Regina joked as she squeezed the heart.

"Enough of this." Cora waved off, "Surrender the dagger. We all know you'll follow you mother's example, no matter the cost. All she ever wanted was for you to be good."

"Those words-where did you hear those words?" Snow asked as reality struck her.

"Where do you think?" Cora asked in a bored tone.

"You did all of this." Snow accused, "You killed my mother."

"Hello, plot twist." Nicholas bluntly thought as he watched everything play out from his pedestal.

"Actually, the candle I gave you would've worked. You could have saved her." Cora corrected.

"But you knew I wouldn't." Snow argued as he voice broke, "Why? Why did you take her from me?"

"To make my daughter the queen." Cora replied seeing nothing wrong with it while both her children looked at her in surprise.

"Hand over the dagger." Regina ordered.

"No. No! I will not let you win. Not again!" Snow cried.

"You already lost your mother. How many connections to her do you have left?" Cora asked.

"Let me go, Snow. It's alright." Johanna pleaded just before red lightning surged around her and began gasping for air. Snow and David then looked to see Nicholas glaring evilly at the woman with one hand raised surging with alchemic lightning; from the shade of the tower, it looked as though his shaded eye was glowing red.

"Nicholas?" David asked.

"What are you doing?!" Snow cried.

"Give up the dagger, Snow." he finally ordered declaring his side.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" he asked, "Perhaps it has to do with the two of you betraying me. Or perhaps accusing me of murdering an innocent child. Or perhaps, Snow White, you turned Ruby against me." he growled in hatred as he created a path and stood at his mother's side, choking Johanna the entire time.

"The dagger, dear." Cora demanded. Seeing no other alternative, Snow threw down the dagger at Cora's feet. With a wave of her hand, the blade flew into her grip. "Such a good girl."

"You have what you came for." Snow reminded as Regina put back the heart and Nicholas stopped suffocating her.

"Not quite." Cora corrected as she sent Johanna flying through the window killing her as she hit the ground. Snow finally lost it and began to sob as David pulled her into his embrace.

"Well, there you go." Regina said with a smug, evil smirk.

"See where good gets you?" Nicholas asked as he deconstructed himself and Cora and Regina poofed themselves away.


	19. The Miller's Daughter

**Hey, guys. Sorry to say, this is the last chapter involving Cora. But, like in the previous chapter, there's gonna be a huge twist which involves Nicholas's past. But I'll talk more about that at the end. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

Not long after Nicholas officially joined his mother's side, a young man with curly chestnut hair wearing a fedora, tie, vest and slacks walked up the stairs leading to a large mansion in the woods of Storybrooke. As he walked in, he left his hat on a hat rack and walked over to a large fire place. As he stepped inside the chimney, a light shined on the left side of his face as it scanned him.

"Authorization Code required." a computer's voice said.

"Authorization code: Whiskey, 42, 9, 9, 0, 1, 1, Winchester, 9, 8, 0, 1." the man recited.

"Authorization code accepted. Welcome." the computer greeted as the floor lowered. Less than a minute later, the young man exited the fire pit and entered another room filled with tall bookshelves and portraits with a long, oval, mahogany table in the center. Sitting at the table was an elder gentleman wearing similar clothing cleaning a riffle, a middle aged man dressed in blue with a sword at his side, a beautiful woman in black sitting patiently, and a man dressed in a black trench coat with a fedora and black sun glasses playing cards.

"Sorry I'm late, y'all." the youngest one in the room apologized; from the sound of his voice, it was clear he had a Midwestern accent.

"Better late than never, boy." the old man said gruffly as he continued to clean his weapon, "I assume you all know why I called us here?"

"Not much going on that concerns us, eh?" the man in black said in an Elizabethan accent, "Tho', it is nice to see the ol' gang back together."

"Unless you disregard the actions made by Flamel and his family, that is." the woman countered in a soft British accent.

"Well, yeah, there's that." he nodded.

"What'd ya suppose we do, boss?" the young man asked the older man.

"I suggest we wait and observe Flamel's actions." the man in blue recommended, "The one we need to focus our attention on is Cora at the moment."

"Regina as well." the woman added.

"Yeah, no offense to Nicholas, but his family's nuttier than Granny's Christmas fruit cake."

"I did a bit o' sneakin' 'round this mornin,' Swan's on her way back with the dark one and his son on Hook's ship. I'd wager we'd be able to spot them coming on the horizon within the 'our."

"You think Cora's gonna wanna attack when he gets here?"

"The dagger is useless to them as long as Rumplestiltskin's beyond Storybrooke's borders. If Cora wants to use it, she will wait for him to return."

"I'm a bit confused. What exactly can she do with it?"

"Whosoever wields the dagger controls the dark one to do their bidding, whatever the order. And whosoever kills the dark one with the dagger takes its power for themselves and becomes the new dark one." the old man recited, "Either way, as soon as Rumplestiltskin enters the border, Cora will have him at her mercy."

"And considering that Nicholas has joined her side, and given the bad blood between his family and Snow White's, things may escalate into a battle." the man in blue added.

"More like a bloodbath given Nicholas's immortality will keep him alive and woundless." the young man reminded.

"If we do get involved in this, we'll need to focus more on Regina and Cora, not just Nicholas."

"So what then?"

"I suggest we have our two marksmen here keep their distances from the fight, should it ever start, and hold Flamel off to give the Charmings a chance to flee. And while the two of you do that, our sneaky friend here can test his fighting skills against Nicholas to give them extra time." the woman suggested while smirking at the man in black who looked horrified.

"Whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, "Why do I have to be the one to get his arse kicked by Nicholas?"

"Because we all know that you can take a hit and you're the only one he can't see." the older man smirked as he reassembled his rifle, "That, and if he does catch you, it'll be quite the show for us to watch."

"Your cruelty knows no bounds, old man, and I respect that."

"Good. Now then, if there aren't any more questions," he said loading his riffle and cocking it, "Let the hunt begin."

 **OUaT**

In Regina's office, Nicholas as his family listened in on the conversation David was having with Snow on their phones. "Hey. I just talked to Emma. It's a bad wound. She says it's poison. They can only cure it back here in Storybrooke. They're taking the ship home."

"Well, let them know that they have the knife, okay?" Snow asked, "Who knows what that wicked woman would do?"

As soon as Cora heard this, she knocked over the speaker. "Mother." Nicholas sighed as he picked it up.

"I don't like what that enchanted box was saying." she huffed, "I'm not-I'm not wicked."

"I know, but it's not an enchanted box. It's a phone tap." he replied.

"I don't care. What matters is they've been warned. Rumplestiltskin's smart, and now he has time to think." Cora stressed.

"So do I." Nicholas smirked, "Besides, the imp's injured."

"More than injured, I'd say." Regina spoke up as she watched his name slowly faded away from the blade, "He's dying."

"When his name disappears, all of that power of his will just boil off into the air and then there will be no new dark one." Cora explained.

"Okay." Regina breathed, "So we have to use him to get Henry back before he dies."

"Something tells me he won't be in good enough condition by the time he gets here." Nicholas speculated as he smoked his pipe.

"There are no other options, I have to stab him with this knife and take his power as my own." Cora decided, "I have to become the dark one. And with his power, there's nothing I won't be able to do."

"But Henry's never going to forgive that." Regina argued, "And the whole point of this is…" she carried before putting the pieces together.

"What is the point of all this, Mother?" Nicholas asked.

"To protect our family." Cora replied.

"Or you gaining your power." Regina rephrased.

"Whatever power I gain is for us. To protect the two of you, to protect Henry. If we lose this battle, we'll spend the rest of our lives on our knees in front of them. And that, my darlings, is something I'll never do."

"Agreed." Nicholas nodded before catching whiff of familiar scents, "They've returned. Who's up for a little action, eh?" he asked matching the smirks on his mother and sister's faces. As they left the office and made their way to Gold's shop, Nicholas covered his body, save for his face and neck, with his shield and made himself a sword, smiling sadistically the whole time.

Standing before the front door, Regina and Cora created fireballs and fused them together before throwing it at the barrier protecting the shop and opening the door. Inside, Emma, her father and Neal (Gold's son) all had their swords drawn while Snow glared at the trio.

"Nicholas," Emma said as she met his gaze, "Think about what you're doing."

"Save it, traitor." he spat while Snow silently left the building. Regina then threw a fireball at Emma only to watch it be deflected by David who was quickly thrown outside. Nicholas then used his alchemy to slide Emma and Neal outside as well. "You two go after Gold. Those bastards are mine." he growled as he headed outside.

"Nicholas," Emma pleaded as her former best friend joined them, "Please, don't do this."

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked, "Unlike all of you, my sister and mother never betrayed me."

"It's not too late." David offered.

"We're your friends, Nicholas." Emma added causing Nicholas's anger to rise even higher.

"Friends?" he asked as he drew his sword, "I don't have any friends."

And with that, the Immortal Alchemist charged at his enemies and clashed his sword against their own. Nicholas's skills were easily well beyond even David's let alone Emma's and Neal's. He swung and slashed at them in a blur, purposely avoiding seriously injuring them; not out of remorse, he wanted to toy with them before he killed them.

As he drove back David, Neal tried to cut him in two from above. At first he thought he succeeded when he saw his blade slice his head, but those thoughts quickly fled when he saw Nicholas turn to look at him with the blade between his eyes, grinning like a madman.

"What the hell are you?" Neal asked as he jumped back and Nicholas knocked David away into Emma.

"I'm immortal." Nicholas chuckled.

 **OUaT**

"This is Missouri calling Whitechapel and Africa. Come in, Whitechapel and Africa, do you copy,?" the young man from earlier calmly asked over a radio. He was currently hiding from a safe distance with a rifle in his hands, armed and ready to fire as he watched the fight.

"This is Africa, I read you, Missouri." the older man replied in a different spot from Missouri but doing exactly as he was.

"This is Whitechapel, I copy." the man in black replied. He, however, was around the corner of one of the nearby buildings as he watched the battle. "Waiting for Africa's signal. Africa, do you have the shot?"

"I have it. But it's not time yet." Africa replied.

"Any sign of the queen?" Whitechapel asked.

"None. No sign of her or the princess inside or out." Missouri informed.

"What 'bout Cora?" Whitechapel asked, "Any visual on her?"

"No. Africa?"

"Lost sight of her. She must've broken through the last barrier and is in the back." he guessed, "Alright, boys, time to get ready." he said as he and Missouri loaded their guns.

 **OUaT**

As Regina and Cora tried to take down the second barrier, Cora felt a strange feeling in her chest, someone was trying to take her heart from Regina's vault. Without any hesitation, Regina volunteered to go and deal with the problem. When she arrived in her vault, she saw Snow holding the box which contained Cora's heart.

"You have no right to be here. And you have no right to that."

"…I was going to give it to you and Nicholas." Snow softly lied. Regina had no idea she cursed it with the candle.

"What?" Regina asked bluntly.

"She can't love you, you know. She doesn't have her heart. With it, maybe she can." the princess reasoned, "That's why you've never felt she loved you. She doesn't have her heart. But I do."

"You're doing this for me and Nicholas?" Regina asked not believing her ears.

"Think about it. What would happen if Cora had her heart? Back inside her?"

"She told me she took it out to protect herself."

"Did it work?" Snow countered, "The person she was before, do you think that person survived? She can't love, so she can't love the two of you."

"She always wanted the best for us." Regina argued as her voice broke, "That's love."

"Imagine real love. You'd have a mother and a start on making a family Henry could be a part of and a chance for Nicholas to feel the love he missed as a slave. Or you could have her be the dark one." Snow warned as she offered the box, "The choice is yours."

 **OUaT**

Upon seeing his sister back inside, Nicholas noticed that she had a heart in her hand and an anxious look on her face. He then sent the trio flying knocking them unconscious before rushing in to join his family.

"Regina, what are you doing?" he asked as he caught up with her, "Whose heart is that?"

"Mother's." she replied as she snuck up behind Cora and shoved it into her. With a loud gasp, Cora dropped the dagger and looked at her children with a wide smile, fully feeling the love she had for them for the first time.

"Mother." Regina said happily as Cora smiled and laughed as love filled her.

"Mother." Nicholas said just as happy. But just before Cora could get used to the emotions flowing through her, she staggered and swayed as an identical wound to what Gold previously had appeared on her chest before she fell into Regina's arms.

"Mother?" Regina asked fearfully.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Nicholas asked as he took her hand.

Feeling her life come to an end by the second, Cora looked to her beloved children and gave them her last words. "This…would have been enough. The two of you…you would've been enough."

And with that, Cora's eyes shut as death finally took her.

"Mother?" Regina whispered, "What's going on?" she asked Gold as he stood over them.

"Mother?" Nicholas sobbed pressing her hand to his cheek, "Please, no. Don't leave me again."

"Don't leave us, please." Regina pleaded as she sobbed as well. All she could do was cradle her mother's corpse while Nicholas sobbed into Cora's waist, "What are we gonna do?" she whispered.

"Your mother never did you two any favors." Gold remarked solemnly.

"Shut up!" Regina barked, "You stole her life! You cast some spell."

"I did nothing." Gold denied.

"Regina! Stop!" Snow cried as she and David ran in. As he heard her voice, Nicholas stopped crying as his eyes widened in realization.

"You." he growled as he slowly looked up at her, "You. You!" he roared as his readied his claws and charged at her going for the kill.

Thanks to David pulling his wife away, the only wounds they received were flesh wounds on their shoulders; but Nicholas wasn't done yet. He was like a wild animal, growling and snarling at them in his furry. He swung his claws hoping to deal more damage and eventually backed them up outside.

 **OUaT**

"Nicholas has come out." Missouri solemnly reported as he watched his old friend attack the royals, "Whitechapel, what's the status on Cora and Gold?"

"…Cora's dead." he briefly replied, "Gold's right as rain. Africa?"

"Aye." he nodded, "I have the shot. Wait for my signal."

 **OUaT**

"You bitch!" Nicholas cried as he tried to slash at Snow while Emma, Neal and David tried to hold him off. However, Nicholas proved to be the stronger one as he shoved them off and tackled Snow to the ground. She looked at him in fear as he drew one of his knives.

"You," he seethed, "You should've stayed asleep."

With the knife held above his head, Nicholas yelled at the top of his lungs before bringing it down at her head. As her loved ones cried in protest, Snow looked away before the sound of gunfire rang through the air. She opened her eyes and saw a bullet hole through Nicholas's forehead which knocked him back causing him to loosen his grip on the knife and allowed her to scramble away.

Nicholas groaned in pain as his wound vanished while he directed his glare at the direction from where the bullet came from. "So you have turned against me too, have you?" he growled knowing Africa could read his lips even from the distance.

"Emma, did you shoot him?" Neal asked.

"No." she replied shaking her head.

"After everything we've been through, after all we endured, this is how you repay me?!" he shouted, "This is how you repay my love?!"

It was then that Missouri fired his rifle and shot Nicholas in the temple, going through his skull and sending him to the ground. "I see through your betrayal." he snarled as he healed, "You would take their side over mine! You're no better than they are! Curse you! Curse all of you!"

Africa shot him again as he ranted. Growing mad, in both inanity and anger, Nicholas grabbed a stone from the ground, threw it, and used his alchemy to change it into a large spike headed in Africa's direction only to see it shot by Missouri's next bullet.

"There you are." he seethed before making an attempt to redo the process. But just as he was about ready to throw, he felt a sharp pain in his right knee; someone managed to break it. Nicholas clutched his knee in pain as it regenerated, but before he could even notice, he felt someone's barefoot slam across his face; but no one was there!

"Is this to be my fate?" he asked himself as the others looked at him in confusion and fear, and for Emma, sadness. "Am I to be betrayed by everyone I believe to be my friends?! Why must I feel the sting of betrayal every time I open my heart to those I wish to be friends with? Why must I always suffer because I was foolish enough to try and know anything but misery?"

"Nicholas." Emma thought feeling sorry for her friend as she watched tears stream down his face.

"Am I just that easy to fool?!" he shouted, "Am I so pathetic that the people I meet can't wait to just stomp all over me like dirt?!"

 **OUaT**

"Stop sayin' that, man." Missouri pleaded as he kept his eyes and riffle on the alchemist, "You know why we're doin' this. If you were in our shoes, you'd being doin' it too."

Once again, Missouri pulled the trigger and shot his friend sending him to the ground.

 **OUaT**

"Who the hell is shooting him?" David asked.

"Who cares? Let's get the hell out of here." Neal urged as he led them away only to see Emma stare at her former friend as he was being shot. "Emma, come on! Let's go." he shouted as he pulled her away.

"Oh, no, you don't." Nicholas muttered in pain. Next thing the group knew, a large wall formed in front of them and surrounded the area. "Enough!" he cried as his shield covered his entire body before the next bullet could hit him. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, no one would believe the face they were staring at belonged to Nicholas.

The shield covering his head made it look like he was bald and had two red lines going from the back of his neck to over his face reaching to his chest. But the biggest change was that he now had razor sharp fangs resembling as sabretooth's and black corneas with purple irises.

 **OUaT**

"Dammit!" Missouri shouted over the radio, "Africa, I lost visual."

"So did I." he responded gruffly, "Whitechapel, are you still within Flamel's proximity?"

"Negative. I had to get out of his reach after my last attack. He made the wall just as I got past its border."

"I'm getting to higher ground." Missouri informed hotly as he grabbed his riffle and attempted to leave his nest.

"Negative, stay where you are, boy." Africa ordered.

"Boss, I can't do that and you know it." he retorted, "The clock tower is right across from me and behind the wall, no one will see me."

"No one within the wall. But the people gawking at it from their windows will." Africa retorted, "Whitechapel, can you get over the wall?"

"Oh, yeah." he remarked sarcastically, "Just let me get my climbing gear and I'll be over it before the kettle whistles. Oh, wait. That's right, I'm standin' here naked lookin' at a smooth surfaced wall almost two stories high!"

"Alright, alright." Missouri sighed, "Just try and get up to the clock tower and relay what's goin' on."

"Roger that, mate."

 **OUaT**

Nicholas was seething in pure rage. All he could see were his enemies in red as they were pressed against the wall. As he was about to charge at them once more, the sound of Rumplestiltskin's voice stopped him.

"Careful, dearie. You already lost one family member today, it'd be a shame if you lost another." he threatened as he held his dagger at Regina's throat in his doorway.

"Nicholas. Help me." she pleaded fearfully.

"Regina." he whispered in a metallic voice.

"Drop the wall and your shield and admit defeat, then you and your sister can leave with your mother's body." Gold negotiated.

Staring at the dark one and panting in anger, Nicholas relented as he dropped his defenses and the wall surrounding them. "A wise decision." Gold smirked as he tossed Regina to her brother, "Go. Take Cora, before I change my mind."

"You'll pay for what you've done today." Nicholas growled as he stood next to the grinning imp, "All of you. Don't forget, I can't die; but all of you can."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll keep that in mind, dearie." Gold chuckled.

"Nicholas, wait." Emma pleaded as she tried to reach her friend only to be held back by her father.

"Emma, no."

"Nicholas!"

But the alchemist just ignored her; unfortunately, the pain in his heart couldn't be as easily disregarded. In the back of the shop, he found his tear streaked sister cradle Cora's head in her lap while looking him in the eyes. Neither sibling said anything, Regina only transported herself and Cora back to her fault while Nicholas followed her through deconstruction.

 **OUaT**

Inside the basement of the mansion, the group of five sat in silence at their table; the three who went into town more so than the others. Only the sound of the crackling fire and the ticking of the clock on the mantle beneath a large portrait filled the room.

"Today sucked." Missouri finally said bluntly in anger as his friends looked at him, "Everybody's thinkin' it, I'm just the one who said it."

"So Cora is dead, then." the man in blue said feeling sorry for Nicholas.

"And Rumplestiltskin is still the dark one." the woman sighed.

"Instead of explaining what we already know, why don't we get down to the question at hand?" Missouri suggested bitterly, "What are we gonna do about Nicholas?"

"Nothing." Africa answered, "We do nothing. We do nothing concerning him and nothing concerning his sister or anyone else. For the time being, we need to remain out of Nicholas's sight."

"Don't see why you're worried, tiger." Whitechapel scoffed, "You and Batty here are immortal, too."

"True," Batty, as she was addressed, nodded, "But you cannot say the same for yourself, now can you? Especially since you literally took a swing at Nicholas earlier today."

"…Good point." he nervously nodded.

"If that is our decision, then I suggest we do so now before Nicholas comes looking." the man in blue suggested as he rose from his seat, "It was good to see you all again, my friends. I pray when next we meet, all of us may fill these seats." he said with a curt bow before leaving.

As everyone left the room, Missouri looked back at the portrait in nostalgia. On the canvas, he saw himself with his riffle over his shoulders, Batty sitting elegantly in a chair, the man in blue looking noble as he puffed out his chest and held the handle of his sword, Whitechapel trying to look stoically stone-faced, a well-dressed man wearing a tailcoat with a monstrous figure shadowing him, Africa holding his riffle like a cane and most importantly, Nicholas looking stoic as he kept one hand in his vest's pocket and had the other hold his tie.

"I'm sorry, buddy." he said in remorse as he looked at Nicholas's image and left the room.

On the lower frame of the picture, a small golden plaque could be seen in the fire's light. On it, it read, "The L.O.E.G. The Misfits and Sinners of Fairytales: Dedicated to Serve the Light from the Dark and the Dark from the Light."

 **Now I bet all of you are wondering who those guys were, right? I dropped, like a LOT of hints so you might pick up on who they are pretty quick. Feel free to let me know who you think they are, I'm excited to see what you guys think. Fair warning, it will be quite some time before they make another appearance.**

 **Another heads up, Nicholas is going to have it pretty rough for a while. For those of you wondering if he and Ruby will stay apart, take a wild guess. Again, hope you guys liked this even more than I did and let me know what you think.**

 **So as my relatives in Bavaria say, Tschus!**


	20. Welcome to Storybrooke

**Here we go, another exciting chapter. Sorry that I can't have both polls out, I'll just leave the one concerning rewriting it or not up and go by what you guys say you want concerning Emma/Ruby from your reviews. Don't worry, I'm keeping score. That being said, Emma is in the lead with rewrite and continue tied up. I know a lot of you like that I paired him with Ruby, but now that I think about it, she'd be hard to write in in a lot of chapters. True, it'll be tricky during Season 5 if Emma is the winner, but I can easily work with that.**

 **Oh, and yes, those people in the previous official chapter were the members of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I've always loved that movie and felt it was underrated and underappreciated. And while the show has already introduced its own version of Jekyll and Hyde, I have a plan to incorporate both versions without blurring the lines. Remember, I have a bonus saga after Season 5, though, now that I think about it, I'll do it just before Hyde shows up and tells everyone that he owns Storybrooke now.**

 **Oh, and one other thing. I'm in college now and my t.v. doesn't get ABC so please, for the love of God Almighty, don't spoil the new episodes for me. I'm going to be like a week behind on each of them because I'll only be able to catch up on the weekends when I go home and I can't stay to watch them on Sunday because of how late they air and how far away my dorm is from my house. Please have mercy!**

 **Also, I'm sorry, but I still don't know who to choose as the actor for Nicholas. I'm sorry, I just can't :( I don't know what it is, I just can't find an actor with the right features.**

 **Anyway, just know that the polls will be closed before Season 3 and no, I won't be doing this every time. I just want to see how many people want Ruby and how many want Emma. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for blondes just a little bit more than brunettes.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

Not long after Cora's death, Regina and Nicholas finally prepared a service for their mother. It was just the two of them dressed in black with the coffin inside the vault. Regina wasn't able to stop crying whereas Nicholas did his best to hold back his tears.

"Seems like black suits every member of the family." Gold remarked as he limped down the steps with a red rose.

"We're here to bury our mother." Regina hissed, "So if you've come to gloat-"

"I came," he interrupted, "To pay my respects. We had our differences, but Cora will always have a place in my heart."

"You killed her to save your own pathetic life." Nicholas spat.

"Sadly, desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Like getting Mary Margaret to trick me into killing my own mother?" Regina asked, "You may be able to hide behind your dagger, but she can't."

"She's going to die for what she did." Nicholas added in spite.

"Oh, come on." scoffed Gold, "We all know killing her will cost you the things you want most, Henry. Why don't you just give up this obsession with vengeance? You know it can never make you happy."

"Yes, it will." Regina argued.

"You had a whole curse worth of vengeance, and what did it get you? A gaping hole in your heart."

"That was your curse." she retorted calmly.

"Which you cast." he countered, "Still haven't learned your lesson, have you?"

"What lesson?"

"The same one your mother learned a long time ago. You can't have everything. She wanted power, ripped her own heart out to get it. You two want vengeance? Henry is the price you'll pay. Time to cut your losses."

"Never." they replied.

"We will get Henry back, and we will have our vengeance." Regina declared.

"We will find a way to have everything." Nicholas growled.

At the loft, David entered the kitchen with a sigh as Emma and Henry looked at him with hope. "Anything?" Emma asked.

"She won't eat a bite." he replied.

"What's wrong with her?" Henry asked.

"Nothing. She's just a little…sick." lied Emma.

"You guys are lying to me, aren't you?" he asked.

"No one's lying."

"You are," he countered, "Just like you did about my dad.

"Henry, I…" Emma tried to reassure only to see her son shrug her away, "He's right. No more lying.

"Emma-"

"He deserves to know." she cut off, "Here's the thing, Henry. Cora's death…Mary Margaret was partially responsible for it, and that's why she's so upset."

"No." Henry denied as someone knocked on the door, "No, no, she couldn't."

"She was trying to protect us." Emma defended.

"But she's Snow White. She wouldn't hurt anybody." Henry argued. David went over to answer the door and saw Gold on the other side.

"Get out." he demanded.

"I think you're gonna wanna hear what I have to say for her sake." Gold argued nodding at the bedridden Snow.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"Flamel and Regina. They're planning to strike back." he replied, "Against your mother."

"What are they going to do to her?" Henry asked.

"Oh, they didn't say."

"No. You don't get to come in here and just drop a bomb like that." David glared, "You're gonna figure this out. And you're gonna help us."

"And why should I?" Gold asked.

"Because aside from us being family now, Mary Margaret saved your life. Now you owe her a debt. And you always pay your debts, don't you? You're gonna help us stop Nicholas and Regina."

"While I can help you with Regina, her brother is another matter. Alchemy and magic don't go well together." Gold reminded.

"Why?" Emma asked.

"After my confrontation with Flamel, I looked into alchemy in hopes to add it to my arsenal. Unfortunately, a person, not even the dark one, cannot wield them both. Alchemy is a science, it is the understanding what's around you and abides by the process of comprehension, deconstruction and reconstruction. An alchemist must always live by the law of Equivalent Exchange."

"And what the hell is that?" Emma asked.

"In order to obtain something, something of equal value must be given in exchange. Something I can get away without usually doing thanks to magic. To be honest, I still don't know why, but it would seem that magic and alchemy are, in a way, natural enemies."

"What about his immortality? What do you know about that?"

"Not much aside from the source of it is that stone in his chest." he shrugged, "I can point you in the direction of where you could go to learn more about it, if you're interested."

"Where?" asked David.

"Why, the library under the clock tower, of course." Gold smirked, "Shortly after I gave it to Belle, she stumbled upon some of his research notes. Took her awhile, but she managed to crack the code in one or two."

"And you think one of them mentions his stone?" Emma asked.

"Possibly."

"If his secret is so close to you, why haven't you used it against him yet?" David asked.

"Because even if I could take care of him, I know just how powerful Flamel is. Quite frankly, I don't want to have a repeat of when we last did battle."

"Alright. David, why don't you and Gold check out Regina's vault while I go to the library?" Emma suggested.

"Alright." he nodded, "Call me when your done and we'll meet back here."

Over at the library, Emma, Leroy and Ruby searched through the shelves hoping to find Nicholas's notes. "Anyone else think it's weird that Nicholas would leave the secret to his immortality lying around in the library?" Leroy asked resting his pick axe on his shoulder.

"Well, it was shut down during the curse." Ruby reminded, "Maybe he thought hiding it in plain sight was a good idea."

"Or maybe he was hoping someone would find it someday." Emma suggested, "Though, I don't think that a dwarf's axe is his sole weakness, Leroy."

"You never know." he shrugged, "Besides, it's not like I want to use it on him."

"You don't?"

"After all he's done for us? No." he replied giving the blonde a look, "Charming and Snow may not trust him, but I always respected him. The axe's for his sister."

"Ah." Emma replied as she joined Ruby, "I'm surprised you wanted to come here after the break up I heard you guys had."

"I'm just trying to make sure Nicholas doesn't kill my best friend, Emma. That's all." Ruby curtly replied.

"Okay." she nodded as she looked through the books, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you think we were a little too quick to judge Nicholas?"

"…Do you?" she asked.

"Kinda." Emma admitted, "I didn't believe it at first. I mean, he's…he was my closest friend. We barely knew each other and he treated me as though we'd been friends for years."

"Yeah. He did that with everyone." Ruby replied, "I think I found it." she said as she pulled out an old journal.

"What's it say?" Leroy asked as Emma took it and began to read aloud.

"Year Thirty-four thirty-four of the fifth age of the Enchanted Forest. Herein lies the record of Nicholas Flamel and the secret of the Philosopher's Stone." she read, "It is as the dwarf told me, I have been given a body which cannot die. As an alchemist, it was only natural for me to test this. No matter what I tried, death would not take me as it does for others. Stabbing myself, burning myself, hanging myself, poison, tearing open my veins, drowning, snapping my neck…even decapitation. All of these did nothing but cause me brief moments of pain."

Emma tried to keep her voice steady as she read the turmoil of her friend while Leroy clutched his axe and Ruby gasped. "The abilities given to me are strange. I cannot understand why he gave them to me instead of keeping them for himself. It matters not. My suffering is nothing compared to the souls dwelling inside me."

"What the hell does that mean?" Leroy asked.

"Every moment of everyday I hear their cries. Men, women…even children calling out in anguish, be it out of fear or calling for their loved ones. I have tried to console them, begging them to calm down so I may be able to end the screaming. But no matter what I do, I hear fewer voices each day and not because of the closure I give them. It is because of what he told me, their energy is consuming them and robbing them of their individuality. They are no longer souls. They are being recycled in order to fuel my eternal life. They have become no different than the cells in my blood and yet each time one of them is silenced, I feel as though I have just witnessed the death of a friend at their bedside. I can only hope that I will at least be able to die at the hands of time. I never wanted to live forever. But that bastard's twisted sense of gratitude has given me such a 'blessing' as he would call it. As a slave, all I wanted was freedom from the shackles which bound me in Xerxes. Now all I want is to be free of life. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die."

There was more to read, but Emma couldn't bring herself to continue. With a heavy heart and a massive lump in her throat, Emma texted David and told him they found the book. When they met back at the loft, Gold told her what Regina had instore.

"It would appear that our dear queen is planning on casting the curse of the empty hearted."

"What the hell does that do?" Emma asked hotly.

"In theory, it has the power to make someone love you." Gold replied.

"Doesn't that break magic laws?" she asked, "You can't bring someone back to life. You can't force someone to love you."

"This particular spell can make someone think that they love you." Gold informed, "And if you're as desperate for love as Regina and as vengeful as Nicholas appear to be, you might just believe it."

"They're going to use it on me, aren't they?" Henry asked as he came down the stairs.

"Hey, buddy, why don't you go back upstairs? Let us handle this." David gently suggested.

"No!" Henry shouted as he pushed him away, "Emma, you said you were gonna be honest with me. Now why are Regina and Nicholas using this curse?"

"Because it's the only way they can get everything they want," Gold replied, "That they can get you, and if Flamel wants, Ms. Lucas, as well."

"But if all they want is me and Ruby-"

"Your mother and uncle are complicated people." Rumple cut off, "They want your love, of course, but they also want revenge on Mary Margaret."

"How does the curse give them both?" David asked.

"Because the last ingredient Regina needs to ignite the curse is the heart of the person she hates the most."

"You have to stop them." Emma said.

"Oh, I don't have to do anything." Gold scoffed, "On the contrary. I believe warning you fulfills my debt."

"Not even close-this is my wife's life we're talking about!" David shouted.

"Not to mention your grandson's." Emma added.

"Yeah, well, wars have costs." Gold retorted.

"Nice." Emma said in disapproval.

"Well, this is a blood feud, dearie." Gold reminded, "One that goes back a very, very long time. And the only way you can end a blood feud is by the spilling of more blood and quite frankly, I think we all know who the winner will be in the end."

"What do you want us to do, kill them?" David asked.

"Is there no other option?" Emma asked.

"I'm afraid not." Gold replied.

"Stop!" Henry cried, "Listen to yourselves. You're talking about killing my mom and uncle. You used to be heroes. What happened to you?" he asked before storming out.

"Henry." Emma called as she grabbed her coat, "No matter how this plays out, we need to keep him as far away from it as possible."

"She's right." agreed the dark one as she left, "Cora was dangerous because she didn't have a heart. Regina's more dangerous because she does. And Flamel's even more dangerous because he has the brains to back up his power."

Emma eventually caught up with her son and took him to meet up with his father at Granny's. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked, "I don't wanna talk to you."

"You don't have to." Emma replied as she walked him over to Neal.

"Hey, buddy. Saved you a seat." Neal greeted happily.

"I'm gonna get a coffee." she informed giving them some space while Ruby came over with an ice cream.

"Here you go. One sundae, extra everything." she said kindly as she gave Neal the treat.

"Thank you, Ruby." he said as he slid it to his son playfully.

"Extra everything?" Henry asked flatly as he slid it back.

"What?" Neal asked playing dumb.

"You think I don't know a bribe when I see one?" he asked.

"That obvious, huh?" Neal sighed.

"So what do you want?" he smirked.

"Well, your mom told me about what's been going on, we think that Storybrooke might not be the safest place for you right now. So I was thinking, why don't we go to New York?"

"New York?" Henry asked.

"Well, Regina can't cast that curse if you're in New York. There's no magic there. Plus, I doubt Flamel would use his alchemy there, too." Neal reasoned.

"Someone should find a way to get rid of magic and alchemy here." Henry suggested, "My mom wouldn't be able to cast the curse. My uncle wouldn't be immortal anymore. My family wouldn't want to kill them. It'd solve everything."

"Yeah." Neal nodded even though he didn't fully agree, "You know what? You're right. But until then, why don't you come with me?"

"Alright." Henry nodded, "Just need to use the bathroom." he said while taking his backpack.

"How'd it go?" Emma asked as she came over.

"Went good." Neal replied, "He said yes."

"Seriously?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah, he's in the bathroom right now. I'm just gonna go home and pack. Not bad for day three as a dad, if I do say so myself."

"Wait. Where's his backpack?"

"Well, I don't know. He took it with him."

"To the bathroom? Did you really fall for that?" Emma asked loudly, "He's your son."

"He's running." he realized before the two of them dashed out of the diner.

 **OUaT**

Nicholas quietly sat in his office as he thought of the best way to get his revenge on Snow should his sister fail. She was currently off to the loft in order to get the heart. As he sat in silence, his nose picked up the scent of his nephew nearby with a faint trace of ammonium-nitrate, or as most people would know, a key ingredient of explosives. Without another thought, he got up from his chair and followed the scent towards the mines.

 **OUaT**

As for the "heroes," they were searching through the mines seeing as it was the last place Henry ran off to when he was upset. They all called out to hoping he would answer.

"Why would an eleven-year-old kid run away to the mines?" Neal asked as they searched.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Emma bluntly replied.

"I think I know what he was looking for." David said as he went over to a box of dynamite, "The dynamite the dwarves used for blasting."

"What the hell would he want dynamite for?" Emma asked. Before anyone could answer, red lightning in the outline of a rectangle appeared on the wall as it turned into a smooth door. Knowing fully well who it was, David and Emma drew their guns and aimed them at the door as it opened and Nicholas walked out.

"Oh, great." he groaned while smacking his head, "It's you guys, again."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Neal asked.

"Looking for the reason why I caught whiff of my nephew's scent with explosives added to it." he replied with a glare, "Why are all of you A-holes here?"

"Looking for Henry, same as you." Emma answered, "And who are you calling an A-hole, A-hole?!"

"You and your little posse, sheriff. Nice comeback, by the way." he dryly retorted, "Now will someone tell me why Henry is off running around with explosives?"

"To get rid of magic and alchemy." Neal realized.

"Wait. What?" Emma asked.

"At the diner, he said someone should get rid of magic and alchemy."

"So he's gonna blow them up?" Ruby asked.

"No, of course not. That's impossible." Nicholas said harshly.

"Where does he think he can even do that?" Neal asked.

"That damn wishing well." Nicholas growled before deconstructing himself. A few moments later, he reconstructed himself and saw Henry strike a match for the dynamite he had on the well and his sister approach him.

"Henry?" she asked as she used magic to snuff out the flame.

"Kiddo, what are you doing?" Nicholas gently asked as he joined his sibling.

"I'm getting rid of alchemy and magic." he declared hotly while clutching the bomb, "They're ruining everything, and you can't stop me."

"All that's gonna do is get you killed." Regina argued gently.

"You just say that because you two need magic and alchemy. So you can stay immortal and cast that curse on me."

"Henry, believe me, the last thing I want is to stay immortal." Nicholas replied as Regina made the dynamite disappear, "We can't lose you, Henry."

"You mean too much to us." Regina said with love as they approached him.

"Then don't cast the curse. Don't kill Mary Margaret." he pleaded.

"Henry, she has to pay." Nicholas argued.

"The curse, it won't make me love you for real. It won't make Ruby love you either." he stressed.

"I don't want or need Ruby's love, Henry." Nicholas said as he cupped the boy's chin, "All I need is yours."

"It'll be fake."

"But it will be something." Regina countered, "I know it's hard for you to understand right now, but you'll see. We can be happy. We can have everything."

"Not like this." Henry refused stepping back.

"Hey, Regina!" Emma shouted as she and the others, minus Ruby, showed up, "Get away from my son!"

"He's not yours. He's mine." Regina snapped, "And after I cast this, you'll never see him again."

"That's never gonna happen." David denied.

"You wanna kill Mary Margaret, you two are gonna have to go through us." Emma declared standing her ground.

"Okay." Regina smirked as she made a ball of fire and Nicholas readied his shadows while David aimed his gun at them.

"Stop!" Henry cried as he stood between them.

"Henry, get out of the way!" Neal shouted.

"Not until someone helps me destroy magic and alchemy!"

"There's no way to get rid of them. You can't just blow them up." Nicholas explained.

"Magic and alchemy aren't the problem, kid. It's her." Emma said as she stretched her hand to him.

"It's not just her. It's everyone. Look what magic did to Mary Margaret." Henry reasoned, "Look at what it and alchemy did to you." he said looking at the siblings, "They're ruining everything. They make good people do terrible things."

"And bad people." Emma reminded.

"Please." Henry begged as he turned to Nicholas and Regina, "They're gonna destroy my family. Help me get rid of them."

"We can't do that, Henry." Nicholas replied softly, "But there is something we can do, instead." he said giving his sister a nod. Regina knew what he meant and dropped the scroll containing the curse into the fire and crushed the ashes in her hand.

"Thank you." Henry said before going to the others. As they walked away, Emma's gaze lingered on Nicholas as he gave a dejected, downcast look to the ground before deconstructing himself away.

Later that day, upon hearing a knock on the door, Nicholas answered it and saw Snow on his porch with tears in her eyes. "What the hell do you want?" he growled as Regina joined him.

"Kill me." she said simply.

"What?" Regina scoffed.

"Regina, we have been fighting for so long. It's cost us so much. It has to end before anyone else dies. So please…just do it." Snow begged softly.

Nicholas looked at his sister as silence filled the air until she finally spoke. "Henry would never forgive us. But you know what our family's problem is? We never learn from our mistakes." she said before jamming her hand in Snow's chest causing her to cry out in pain. As she ripped it out ready to squeeze, she noticed something in the center.

"Well, what'd ya know?" Nicholas asked with a crazed grin as he looked at the organ.

"What?" Snow asked as Regina showed her a black spot in the center.

"Do you see that?" she asked.

"What did you do to it?" Snow asked.

"Oh, she didn't do anything." Nicholas informed, "You did."

"You darkened yourself." Regina said.

"No." Snow refused sobbing, "No."

"Yes. And once you blacken your heart, it only grows darker and darker." Regina explained solemnly, "Trust us. We know."

"So crush it." Snow begged, "Do it. Crush it. Get it over with."

"And put you out of your misery?" Nicholas asked, "It's all so clear now. We don't need to destroy you. You're doing it to yourself."

"And along the way, you'll bring down that perfect little family you fought so hard to reunite." Regina added darkly, "And then Henry will be ours."

"Please, kill me." Snow whispered through her tears, "Please, just kill me."

"You see," Regina said happily, "Nicholas and I can have everything. Thanks to you."

She then jammed the heart back in Snow's chest and watched her gasp in pain. "Now get off our porch." Nicholas demanded as he slammed the door in her face.

Little did any of them know, Greg Mendel, the visitor, recorded the entire meeting.


	21. Straight on 'Til Morning

**Alright guys, we've reached the end of Season 2 and the polls are closed. And the results: Emma and Nicholas will be the new and final main pairing for this story which I will continue. For those of you who still want it to be Ruby, sorry. It would have been really hard to fit Ruby into this without making her a minor character seeing as she's fazed out of the show at this point. Don't worry though, I have every intention on making Emma and Nicholas's relationship very interesting.**

 **Uh, Hook will obviously not have as big of a role now that he and Emma won't be together. He'll still be in this, but he'll just be Emma's friend, nothing more. Ha, who knows, maybe he'll hook up with Tink or Merida?**

 **Anyway, before we get to the chapter, fair warning, the torture scene will involve Nicholas and his will be a bit more traumatizing than Regina's was. Just in case anybody doesn't want to read that. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters.**

Two weeks following the confrontation between Snow and the Mills siblings, Regina and Nicholas joined Gold as they watched from afar as Henry crossed wooden blades with his father. Jealousy and longing coursed through their veins as they watched the boy have fun with someone other than them.

"Seems like the three of us have been pushed to the sidelines." Regina commented as she stood next to her old teacher and rival.

"What are you two doing here?" the dark one asked.

"The real question is, what's your son doing with my nephew?" Nicholas asked dryly.

"Oh, that." Gold smirked, "That's right. Neither of you got the birth announcement, did you? That's Henry's father."

Shock filled them both as the truth was revealed. "What?" Regina asked lowly.

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" he asked, "Ms. Swan and my son-"

"We got it." Nicholas cut off feeling uncomfortable with the topic for some reason.

"You're Henry's grandfather?" Regina asked.

"Guess that makes us family. He's got my eyes, don't you think?" Gold taunted.

"You did this." Regina accused as they followed him.

"Trust me, dearie, it was a much a shock to me as it is to the both of you."

"Puh, I find that hard to believe. You must have known." Nicholas argued, "When Regina and I adopted him, it was you who procured him for us. You expect us to believe that that was a coincidence?"

"No, not coincidence. Fate." Gold corrected, "And apparently, fate has a sense of humor."

"Please," Nicholas scoffed, "There's no such thing as fate. And don't act like you're the loving grandpa all of a sudden. None of them will accept you. No one. Be it your son, or any of them. You're in the same boat as us right now, dark one."

"We'll see." he replied aloofly.

"We've already seen, Gold." Regina argued, "I've seen your dark heart, and it always wins out. You always choose darkness."

"You know, you think you know me, dearie. But you don't."

"We know you well enough. If your own son couldn't bring out the good in you, who will?" she asked as they walked away.

As the day went on and Regina further tormented Gold by giving Belle her cursed memories, which were of her being a bar skank, Nicholas tried to settle back in his old routine by taking a walk through town. As he walked by the docks, he spotted the town's beautiful sheriff sitting with Henry's book in her lap.

"Reading up on Henry's father?" he asked trying to sound playful, "Or maybe his grandfather, perhaps?"

"I take it you and Regina know?" she asked grinning sheepishly as he sat down next to her.

"Yep, and my dear sister is very unhappy. Well, a bit more than usual." he remarked.

"Well, I was going to tell you, but I was kinda busy trying to stop you, your sister and your mother from killing me and my entire family." she retorted with a grin which went away as soon as she saw Nicholas's downcast look.

"…I wasn't…I wasn't trying to kill you." he whispered, "I was in a bad place at the time, Emma. My plan was to keep my mother from killing Gold and just let Hook's poison finish him. Needless to say…that didn't work."

"Yeah." she said softly, "You know, I can't find your story anywhere here in the book."

"That's because it's a book of fairytales. My story belongs in a book of horrors." he replied bitterly.

"I read your journal." Emma blurted.

"Which one?" Nicholas asked sadly.

"The one where you wrote that you want to die three times."

"Ah. That one." he recalled, "Well, it's not like anyone needs to worry about me committing suicide. Not that anyone would really care aside from my sister."

"Don't say that." Emma scolded.

"Am I wrong?" he asked, "Name one person in this town who would actually miss me if I was gone, besides Regina. You can rule out your parents because all they see in me is the same 'evil' my mother and sister had/have. None of the dwarves because I almost killed Mary Margaret and David. Ruby won't because I found out earlier that she only went out with me because of her leftover lustful urges from the curse. Henry wouldn't because he just sees me as a monster. Nobody in this town would care."

"That's not true." Emma said grabbing his limp hand and looking him in the eyes, "I would. Nicholas, you're my best friend."

"Figured I ruined that the moment I did nothing when Cora killed that old woman Snow knew." he grumbled as his eyes filled with grief.

"No. I get why you sided with Cora. I…we didn't give you a chance when you deserved it. I let you down."

"It was an air-tight case. Not like you know anyone else who can use alchemy to change his appearance at will."

"Do you know who can?" she asked.

"…I don't wanna talk about that anymore, Emma." Nicholas replied, "But I did not kill that child." he stressed.

"I know. I believe you."

"You didn't believe me before." he countered.

"You're right." she nodded gently with guilt, "And I'm sorry that I didn't. I should have, but I didn't."

"Whatever." he shrugged, "Can't change the past."

Emma just looked at the man who used to be filled with so much life and being when she met him. Now he was a shell of that man wallowing in his grief and negative emotions. "Nicholas, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he asked looking out at the sea, "What's wrong is that for the second time in my life, I've had to stand over my mother's coffin. I've found out that nearly all of the people who I thought were my friends lied to me just so I would protect them from my sister. My nephew will never see me for more than a monster and I just found out that my ex-girlfriend was using me just for pleasure. I-I…I just don't want to be constantly in pain anymore."

Before he could continue to mope even further, Nicholas felt a quick pain coming from the back of his head. He looked up and saw Emma with a stern look on her face and her hand raised.

"Did you just slap me upside the head?" he asked bluntly.

"Yep. And if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, I'm gonna do it again." she informed. Nicholas just stared at her with a blank look for a few moments before chuckling at the blonde who eventually joined him.

"Thanks, Emma. I needed that."

"Anytime." she relied still smiling, "Besides, if I can't hit your sister, the least you can do is let me hit you once in a while."

"What are you talking about? You slugged her last year." he reminded.

"Oh, yeah." Emma remembered grinning, "That was a good punch."

And just like that, Emma Swan and Nicholas Flamel became best friends again. Sounds a bit cliché, right? Maybe. But sometimes, all someone really needs is for somebody they care about give them a good smack to the head to get them out of a funk.

They spent the rest of the day just hanging out and making up for lost time. Eventually, night fell and they wound up at the loft having a heavy discussion about which was better, the Harry Potter movies or books.

"How can you say that?" Emma asked laughing with a beer in her hand, "The fifth movie was way better than the book!"

"Oh, come on!" Nicholas groaned as he took a swig of his own beer, "That movie clearly lacked the finer details regarding the background of Dumbledore's Army. Not to mention, it explained how Fred and George managed to get enough money for their shop. You're just mad that Dumbledore admitted to Harry that he knew about all the crap in his life in the book."

"Let's get something straight," she said trying to act serious but failing, "Dumbledore did not admit he knew everything about Harry's crappy life."

"Yes, he did." Nicholas laughed, "He flat out told Harry he knew about the abuse he went through with the Dursley's and that he knew Sirius was innocent. That was an entire chapter's worth, right there."

"…Which chapter?" Emma asked.

"You know that scene when Dumbledore takes Harry to his office to talk? In the book, that's when he comes clean."

"Oh, my god." she said as the memories filled her head, "Okay, okay. But the fight scene between him and Voldemort was totally badass, you got to admit that."

"That I will agree with." he nodded raising his beer.

"Hey, you know what I just remembered?"

"What?"

"You were pretty much the main reason behind the whole ordeal for the first book. Care to explain?" Emma asked with a playful grin.

"Hey, don't look at me. As far as I know, Hogwarts doesn't even exist." Nicholas laughed as someone knocked on the door.

"I got it." Emma said, as she walked to the door, Nicholas noticed that she added a little extra sway in her hips; and he certainly didn't mind. "What, did you tranquilize him?" Emma asked as she saw Neal carry Henry over his shoulder while he slept.

"I just gave a couple bourbons." Neal joked as he walked in, "Kid's a real lightweight-"

As he talked, he noticed Nicholas sitting on the couch drinking his beer. "Oh, hey, how's it going?" he kindly greeted, "We haven't been properly introduced. Nicholas Flamel, I'm Henry's adoptive uncle."

"Uh…Emma?" Neal asked nervously, "I think you might want to call David. Tell him to bring his gun and a lot of bullets."

"Oh, stop." she waved off smacking his free shoulder, "Nicholas, come on, get up. Let Henry sleep there."

"Well, since milady asked so nicely." he teased as he got up letting Neal set the boy down. After covering his son with a blanket, Neal looked at his former flame with a baffled look on his face.

"What?" Emma asked, "I invited him over. Me and Nicholas are friends again."

"He tried to kill us."

"Actually, I was trying to kill Mary Margaret. You guys were just in the way." Nicholas smirked as he grabbed his coat, "Water under the bridge, by the way. I think I'm gonna head out, Emma."

"Really?" she asked slightly disappointed.

"Yeah, I have some things to check on. See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it." she replied before giving him a hug and letting him leave. As he walked happily through the brisk Maine evening, Nicholas took in a feeling he hadn't felt in weeks; happiness.

Like most days in Storybrooke, it had rained earlier so naturally there were multiple large puddles in the street. With a large one in front of his path, he so no issue with just walking through it. As he walked through the water, Neal's fiancé, Tamara watched him from the driver's seat of her car. She then reached into her purse and pulled out a powerful Taser while glancing at the alchemist.

Nicholas was completely oblivious to the stranger following him. As he was about to finally get out of the puddle, Tamara crouched down to where it began and stuck her Taser into the water shocking Nicholas and bringing him to the ground unconscious.

It wasn't until later the next morning when Nicholas finally regained consciousness. He found himself strapped to a chair and had rods protruding through his arms, legs and shoulders which kept him pinned even more. He tried to shift around but stopped as he felt his nerves enflame with pain from the rods.

"I imagine that stings a bit." Greg Mendel said smugly as he approached his prisoner.

"I don't know. How's about you and I trade places?" Nicholas asked through his pain.

"Oh, I-I'm good, thanks." Greg replied smirking as he pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, "You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"No, I know who you are." Nicholas replied, "You're like everyone in this town. You answer to two different names. Currently, you go by Greg Mendel; Storybrooke's guest who crashed his car and is on the mend. But the last time you were here, you went by little Owen Flynn; an innocent boy who stumbled upon a strange town with his father in 1983."

"And you're Nicholas Mills; the younger brother to Storybrooke's Madam Mayor and the Immortal Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel." Greg/Owen replied.

"I'm curious, why come back now, after all these years? Did you forget about us?" Nicholas asked mocking him, he knew fully well why he was in town and why he didn't show up sooner.

"You know why. I'm here for my father." Greg informed becoming serious.

"No, there's more to it than that. You wouldn't have gone as far as kidnapping me if he was the only reason. Finding Kurt is just an added bonus. Now I'll ask again, why are you here?"

"Magic." Greg replied, "You know, unlike where you people are from, it's pretty rare here, and every time it shows up, terrible things tend to happen. I'm what you could call…a magic hunter."

"A 'magic hunter?' Really?" Nicholas asked finding the title lame.

"Yep. And our mission, people like me who know just how dangerous and evil magic is, is to destroy anything to do with magic."

"Impressive." Nicholas said with sarcasm and false amazement, "So there really is a job for everything out there. I take it that you aren't exactly fond of the residents here, then?"

"You 'people' are nothing more than freaks parading around looking like actual human beings." Greg scoffed, "It's disgusting."

"You're the disgusting one. Acting all high and mighty with a holier-than-thou complex. It's people like you who make me sick. Although, it was a nice touch keeping me pinned with these rods. Won't do you much good when I deconstruct them and kill you, though." Nicholas remarked as he tried to use his alchemy only to see nothing happen. Nothing he tried worked, not his shield, not his shadows; the only thing he could do was have his wounds try to heal around the rods. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"What, you didn't notice the gift I got you?" Greg asked pretending to act hurt. He then pulled back Nicholas's left sleeve and revealed a black leather cuff on his wrist with a transmutation circle etched into the center. "This little accessory cuts off your alchemy. I was hoping it would make you mortal again, but I'll just have to deal with what I've got."

"How did some orphaned little brat like you come across this thing?" he asked glaring at his captor, "I doubt it came from an old friend of your dad."

"Let's just say that when somebody talks about something for as long as I did, some people will listen once in a while."

"Oh, and I bet you talked about the mysterious town that no one could find was holding your father hostage for a long time. Too bad the Twilight Zone wasn't making new episodes back then; you could have been the inspiration for their comeback." Nicholas teased.

"Where is my father?" Greg asked as he began to lose his patience.

"Do I look like I'm going to tell you?"

"Fine." he sighed, "We'll just have to move along with your little torture session, then."

"Torture?" Nicholas scoffed, "I've experienced more pain than anyone. Whatever you have in store for me, won't work."

"We'll see." Tamara said smugly as she walked in with a pair of wireless headphones and an iPhone. Unfortunately, Nicholas had his head strapped so he couldn't do anything to stop her from putting the buds in his ears. She then pressed play and waited to see his reaction. At first, there wasn't any sound; Nicholas began to wonder what they had planned for him just before his thoughts were interrupted.

"CRACK!" The sound of a whip rang through his ears causing him to jolt in panic. Five seconds later, the sound came again and sent fear through his body as memories filled his mind.

"You may not be afraid of pain, Nicholas," Greg began to say, "But you are afraid of something; your past. And evidently, whips."

Crack after crack made him think back to his days as a slave. The merciless lashing from his master and the other nobles along with the vile monsters who captured him in the first place. Nicholas was completely helpless as the sound repeated itself every five seconds.

"We know that you were a slave." Tamara added, "Can't exactly walk away from the scars that left behind, now can you? We may not be able to kill you, even though we really want to, but we can make you relive your worst nightmares."

"But we can also stop them." Greg reassured soothingly as he bent down to meet Nicholas's bloodshot gaze, "Just tell me where my father is and we'll let you-"

Nicholas cut him off by spitting in his eye, trembling in anger and hysteria from the constant cracking.

"Fine." he huffed whipping his eye, "I wonder if Regina will be more cooperative."

"You know, I may not be a religious man, but I swear to God, if you lay one hand on my sister, I will kill you both; slowly, and painfully." Nicholas snarled before jolting at the sound of the whip again.

"Seeing as you're the one strapped and bolted to a chair, that's unlikely." Tamara grinned as she left the room with Greg behind her.

"I'm gonna get out of this chair sooner or later, Owen, and when I do…I'm gonna tear out your trachea." he threatened coolly.

"Oh, I-I-I'm sure you will." Greg chuckled leaving the alchemist to suffer with the ghosts of his past. Flashes of the trauma which plagued his mind for decades filled Nicholas's mind for hours. He was drenched in cold sweat and his eyes were bloodshot from the mental torture. It drove him mad enough to the point of throwing a fit to where he snapped the strap around his head; unfortunately, a few seconds afterwards, Nicholas hyperventilated to the point of throwing up.

With his head limp and his mind numb, the Immortal Alchemist was a twitching, drooling unfortunate soul unable to remove the ear buds and forced to watch his sister be electrically tortured through the broken glass of the room before him. Eventually, Greg stormed in and dragged Nicholas's chair to the room Regina was in.

"Nicholas," Regina whispered hoping to gain her brother's attention, "Nicholas? Can you hear me? Brother? Abba?"

Even with his real name being uttered, Nicholas was unresponsive.

"They found us." Tamara warned.

"Who, Emma and Neal?" he asked, "I thought that you took care of them."

"Yeah, so did I. We need to go."

"No, no. No, no, no." Greg denied anxiously, "I-I need more time with them."

"Greg, if you get caught, this whole thing is blown." Tamara stressed.

"We wouldn't even know about this town if it wasn't for my dad. I'm not leaving until I find out where he is."

"Fine. Meet me at the rendezvous point when you're done." she said before leaving.

"I'm moving up the timeline." Greg informed as he increased the voltage and connected Nicholas to the machine, "Now I'm gonna give you two one last chance. Tell me where my father is."

Neither sibling said anything.

"Okay, time's up."

As soon as he said this, Nicholas gave a wicked, slurred chuckle which increased into maniacal laughter.

"Where is he?" Greg asked over the laughter.

"Dead." Regina spat, "We killed him. The minute you ran away."

"We made him an all-you-can-eat-buffet for the maggots of Storybrooke years ago." Nicholas laughed tiredly.

"No, you're-you're lying to me." denied Greg.

"You don't believe us?" Regina asked, "Go see for yourself."

"We left his corpse at your campsite." Nicholas spat, "I'm sure he doesn't get too many visitors there. Poor little Owen. Looks like you weren't able to save him after all."

Having heard enough, Greg slammed his fist on the machine and electrocuted the brother and sister.

"You feel that?" he said through his teeth, "Huh? That's the end of you. That's scary, ain't it? Now neither of you are going to hurt anyone ever again."

Suddenly, David came in and shot the machine causing Greg to hold his hands up in surrender.

"Don't move!" he shouted; of course, Greg shoved his equipment at him and made a break for the nearest exit. As he was about to chase after him, Snow stopped him.

"David! We can't leave them. Regina will die if we don't get her help."

"We gotta get her to Mother Superior." he suggested.

"Help me get these things out of Nicholas." Snow pleaded as she tried to pull out the rods.

"Emma?" David asked over his radio, "You gotta block the exits."

"Already on it. You guys alright?" she asked.

"Oh, we're fine. We found Regina and Nicholas, with Mendel."

"Wait, what? Nicholas is here too?" Emma asked in a panic, "What happened? Is he okay?"

"They had him skewered with a bunch of metal rods that we're trying to get out. He's looked better, that's for sure."

"I'll be better as soon as somebody gets this damn cuff off of me." Nicholas slurred as Snow finally yanked out the last rod.

"Here, let me." she said as she took it off. Feeling his powers return to him, Nicholas leapt from the chair and grabbed one of the rods before transmuting it into a cavalry sword.

"When I get through with them, no one will be able to tell them from the chum on the floor." he growled before storming off to join Emma. As he tried to find them, he heard gunfire and followed the echo. When he found the source, Nicholas saw Tamara nearly pressing her gun against Neal's forehead while Emma struggled to rise from the ground.

"I'm sorry, Neal." she said.

"Not yet, you're not." Nicholas spoke up as he extended his claws to nick Tamara's hand and break the gun.

"It's over." Emma said as she finally got up.

"No." Tamara spat reaching into her pocket, "It's not."

Spotting the object in her hand, Nicholas's eyes dilated in panic as he realized it was a magic portal bean. "Oh, not again." he muttered as Tamara threw it at their feet, "Emma, get out of the way!" he cried pulling her way.

"Bye." Tamara said as she escaped.

The portal was made and just like with what the hat used to make, it tried to suck in the three of them to its destination. With quick thinking, Nicholas dug his free claws into the floor as he held onto Emma's waist. Unfortunately for Neal, the portal began to eat at his area of the floor.

"Neal!" Emma cried as she grabbed his arm.

"Emma! Nicholas can't all of us! Just let go!" Neal pleaded.

"Yes, he can!" she shouted. As Nicholas struggled to hold on, he felt his body shift just slightly closer to the portal. Now remember, Nicholas's shield gave him incredibly sharp claws; so sharp that sense the floor was made of wood, his claws were cutting through it because of the portal trying to drag them in.

"Guys, I'm slipping!" he warned.

"You're shot! If you fall through that portal, you'll die no matter what world you land in!"

"No, but, Emma, Henry needs you. He can't lose both of us. Don't make him grow up like we did."

"Then don't let go." Emma pleaded through her tears, but Neal didn't listen. He let go of her hand and fell into the green vortex. "No!" she cried.

Upon sensing that someone went through it, the portal closed leaving a pit in the ground and Emma sobbing. Nicholas didn't say a word. He only did what he knew he had to do more than anything; hold his dear friend as she let lose her pain and tears.

After Emma composed herself, Nicholas helped her out of the cannery and back to the loft, not taking his arm away from her even for a second. When they arrived he saw his sister unconscious on Mary Margaret's bed as Mother Superior healed her. Looking to see Emma nod at him, he finally let go of her and went to check on his beloved sibling.

"We're just bred for all kinds of trouble, aren't we, sis?" he whispered as he stroked her hand with his thumb as Snow watched, "Why did you save us?" he asked the former bandit.

"Because after everything you've done for us and all I've done to you…it was the least I could do." Snow replied with regret.

"And despite our differences, we're family." David added with just as much guilt as his wife.

"Where are they?" Regina asked as she came to, "Where are Greg and Tamara?"

"For now, they got away." Nicholas replied as he helped his sister sit up.

"So they still have it." she exhaled.

"Still have what?" Snow asked.

"My trigger." Regina whispered.

"How in the hell did they get their hands on that?" Nicholas asked in shock.

"A trigger?" David asked.

"A failsafe with the power to destroy Storybrooke…and everyone in it." Nicholas explained, "My question is, sister dear, why were you strolling around with the damn thing in your pocket?"

"She was going to destroy us, Nicholas." David answered.

"I was going to use the beans to take Henry and Nicholas back to the Enchanted Forest." Regina replied flatly.

"And in the process, kill us all." Snow concluded.

"You want to talk about justification?" Regina asked hotly, "You were going to abandon my brother and I here and take Henry over there yourselves."

"You were?" Nicholas asked before waving off his own question, "We'll discuss this later. Right now, the very thing capable of destroying us all is in the hands of two psychopaths with a vendetta against magic."

"So what do we do?" Snow asked.

"Get all the help we can get, for one thing." Nicholas suggested, "I say we look for Rumplestiltskin."

After leaving the loft, the found the dark one watching his grandson on a swing in the park. "Gold." David called, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, my son made it clear I'm to stay away from him, so I'm spending some time with my grandson instead."

"Emma, why don't you talk to Henry?" Nicholas recommended. As she reluctantly went over to tell her son the heartbreaking news, the three of them broke it to Gold. Instead of wanting to help them take down the people who killed his son like they hoped, he succumbed to his grief and left them to their imminent doom. When they went back to the loft with Henry, the entire town shook and rumbled.

"Regina," Emma asked, "Was that-"

"Yes. The trigger was activated." she nodded.

"So we're all gonna die?" Henry asked.

"You were born here, so you'll live."

"But…I'll be alone."

"I'm so sorry, Henry." Regina apologized.

"It's not gonna happen." Emma denied, "I'm not gonna let it. You did this. Now make it stop."

"I can't. There's no way."

"Well, figure it out. It's your fault." she barked.

"Stop!" Henry shouted, "I already lost my dad. I don't wanna lose anyone else. We have to work together."

"From the mouths of babes. I'd say the lad has a point." Hook agreed as he unexpectedly showed up only to be punched in the face by David.

"That's for the last time we met." he spat.

"Bloody hell." Hook muttered.

"Now tell us why you're here before I use something other than my fist." he demanded as he pulled out his pistol.

"I think threatening to kill me is a bit redundant when we're all about to die anyway." Hook retorted.

"No thanks to you." Emma remarked, "Regina just told us you were working with Tamara and Greg to get your revenge."

"Well, that was before they told me I had to die to get it."

"We don't have time for this." Nicholas interrupted, "We have a real problem."

"Which is why I'm here, 'cause staring death in the face has made me realize there's one thing I want more than my revenge, it's my life. So should we start this thing now and then resume bickering?" asked the pirate.

"There is no stopping it." Regina repeated, "The best thing I can do is slow it down, but that will only delay the inevitable."

"Or give us the time we need." David suggested.

"For what?" Snow asked.

"To steal back the beans. Use them to get everyone back to the Enchanted Forest before Storybrooke is gone."

"How?" Emma asked, "We don't even know where Greg and Tamara are."

"Not to mention, the portals made by the beans don't stay open for long. They'll close as soon as even a single group goes through." Nicholas informed.

"Well, luckily, I know where they are. I can help." Hook offered.

"Yourself. You'll take them and leave us all behind. Why should we trust you?" Emma asked.

"No, we won't have to." David reassured, "I'll go with him. If he tries anything, I'll shoot him in the face."

"Quite hostile, aren't we?" Hook joked.

"Just being clear."

"Emma, Regina, and I will head over to sow down the trigger, give you guys some time." Nicholas added, "Mary Margaret, take Henry and gather everyone in front of the town hall. Make sure they're ready to go as soon as we have those beans. If we aren't able to get them back, take this," he said handing her a flare gun from his coat, "Shoot it into the air, wait five minutes until you see a small group of people and tell them what happened; they'll handle the rest."

"H-how will I know them from the others?" she asked.

"Oh, trust me, you'll know them when you see them." he reassured.

"Who are these people, exactly?" Regina asked.

"Just some old friends of mine." he replied.

"Henry," Regina said just before they left, "Before you go…I'm sorry for what's happened."

"So am I." Nicholas added as he crouched down with his sister to Henry's level.

"We tried to be the people you wanted us to be, and we failed."

"But neither of us will ever let you be alone. Just know that we love you."

"I love you, too." Henry said softly as he finally hugged his adoptive family for the first time in weeks.

In the depths of the mines, Emma, Regina and Nicholas followed the flowing force of power emanating from the trigger. "I can feel it." Emma informed, "It's like the oxygen's being sucked out of the air."

"Not the oxygen. The magic." Regina corrected.

"Found it." Nicholas informed as he spotted the floating, glowing diamond.

"Once it stops glowing, its destruction is achieved, and then…well, then we'll see the real carnage." Regina said fearfully, "I'll try to contain its energy as long as I can."

"It won't be long. We'll have the bean soon. Then we can get the hell out of here." Emma reminded.

"Slowing the device…it's going to require all the strength I have."

"Regina…what are saying?" Nicholas asked.

"You're not coming with us, are you?" Emma asked, "When you said goodbye to Henry, you…were saying goodbye."

"He knows I love him, doesn't he?" she asked.

"Regina, there has to be some other way." said her brother.

"I'm sorry I wasn't the best big sister." she chuckled sadly, "If it wasn't for me…you never would have been taken from us."

"That was not your fault and you know it." he choked.

"You were right, Emma. Everything that's happening, it's my fault. I created this device. It's only fitting that it takes my life."

"What are we supposed to tell Henry?" she asked.

"Tell him that in the end, it wasn't too late for me to do the right thing. Everyone looks at me as the Evil Queen, including my son. Let me die as Regina."

"Sis, please-" Nicholas begged only to stop when he saw her use her magic on the device. On their way back to Granny's, Nicholas stayed quiet and somber the entire time.

"I'm sorry, Nicholas." Emma apologized taking his hand in hers.

"Alchemy and magic have always been two opposing forces incapable of working together." he said, "Both have so much power, and yet I can't use mine to do anything to help this town or my own sister. How am I supposed to tell Henry on the same day he learned that his father died that I left his mother to die?"

"It won't be easy. But I'll be with you all the way." she promised while squeezing his hand. As soon as they made it to the diner, David and Hook came in.

"We have the beans." David said.

"You did it?" Emma asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's get going. Henry?" Emma called for her son.

"Wh-where's my mom?" he asked not seeing Regina.

"Kiddo, your mom can hold off the self-destruct device long enough for us to escape, but…she won't survive."

"No. No." he denied.

"Henry, we're sorry." Emma apologized, "We promised her we'd get you to safety."

"But we can't do this. She's family. We don't leave family behind."

"I know, but this is what she wants." Emma stressed, "We have a way out. We have to take it."

"We saved her from being killed by the wraith. How is this any different?"

"The wraith." Snow gasped

"What?" Emma asked.

"We sent it through a portal. Why can't we do the same thing with the self-destruct?" she asked.

"Because we don't know if it'll work." Nicholas countered.

"It could."

"Yeah." David agreed.

"It's too risky. No one will go along with it." Emma argued.

"Yes, we will." Archie spoke up, "Because it's the right thing to do. Nicholas, we didn't stand by you when we should have, and we will never forgive ourselves for it. Thanks to you, we were able to find happiness even in our bleakest moments. Let us try to help you for a change. Who's willing to repay this man for all he's done?"

"I am!" one of the dwarves yelled with his brothers following with just as much vigor.

"You can count on us, Flamel." Leroy promised.

"Me!"

"I am!"

"Right here!"

"Without a doubt."

"Nicholas, this is what we want to do." Snow said kindly.

"And will do." David added before the town shook once again.

"This plan could fail." Emma debated, "If we use that bean now, we can get away for sure. We will survive."

"But it's wrong." Snow stressed, "Emma, I killed their mother."

"You did that to Cora because you had to." she argued.

"I did it because it was easy." she said causing Nicholas to glare at her, "It was a mistake. There were other paths; harder paths, and I wish I had taken them. So please, Emma, honey, let's take the hard path. Because if we don't, we will be building a future on Regina's blood.

"…Whatever you do…just make sure Henry doesn't end up alone." he begged as he backed away to the door, "Don't let him feel as empty as I did."

"Nicholas, what are you doing?" Emma asked softly.

"I've witnessed too much death in my life, Emma." he said, "I've already had to bury half of my family. I will not do that again, not when I have the strength to stop it."

"Nicholas…you'll die. That magic will kill you" she whispered as tears formed in her eyes.

"Then I'll finally be able to pay for all the suffering I've caused. And if I die, he can't use me and all of you will be safe. I will not let my sister die alone. If I die, then I die with my sister. Let's go." he said as he led the Charmings out the door. When they got back to the mines, they found Regina right where they left her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Regina," Nicholas said bluntly, "For once in your life, just shut up."

"You were willing to die to save us. That makes you a hero." Henry explained, "And now we're gonna be heroes."

"We're gonna open up a portal and throw this thing into a void." David informed.

"No." Regina argued, "You don't know that it'll work."

"We have to try." Snow retorted as Emma searched for the bean in the pouch Hook gave her.

"Emma?" David asked when he saw her do nothing.

"…It's empty." she said softly.

 **OUaT**

Out at the docks, Captain Hook clutched the bean in question in his hand as he began to sail away.

 **OUaT**

"I can't contain this much longer." Regina said weakly.

Realizing the situation, Emma looked to her parents and finally let down her walls. "Mom," she said shakenly, "Dad."

While they were happy to finally hear their daughter call them by those names, they were heartbroken that it would be the last time in this life. Nicholas looked to his sister who struggled to hold her tears and simply nodded at each other; they didn't need to say anything, they already knew what the other was feeling/thinking. Henry broke from the hug and went to them to hear their last words for he would be the only survivor.

"We love you, Henry." Regina said as she began to cry.

"Looks like this is it, huh?" Nicholas asked Emma who was silently crying.

"Yeah," she scoffed through her tears, "I guess so. I'm sorry you're stuck down here with us instead of with Ruby."

"I don't want to be with Ruby, Emma." he replied.

"But…but you love her." she said.

"What I had with Ruby wasn't love." Nicholas said cupping her cheek and looking into her eyes, "It was a distraction."

Emma said nothing as she pulled him into a tight hug and cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stop this." Regina said to Henry, "I'm just not."

"You may not be strong enough." Emma said as she broke away from her hug, "But maybe we are."

"Only one way to find out." Nicholas said as he joined the two women, "Time to see if alchemy and magic really can work together."

As the others took cover, Emma joined Regina in using magic while Nicholas tried to use his alchemy to deconstruct the diamond. With each of their powers surging, it was only a matter of moments before they were sent back in a blast of energy which stopped the trigger and saved the town.

"We're alive." David said happily to his wife.

"Emma?" Snow asked as she helped her daughter up.

"We did it." she breathed happily.

"Yes, we did." Regina nodded as she helped Nicholas to his feet.

"That was nuts!" he exclaimed causing them all to laugh.

"Got to hand it to Henry, he's right about a lot of things." David praised.

"Ain't that the truth." Nicholas nodded.

"Isn't that right, kid?" Emma asked her son only to find him missing, "Henry?"

"Henry?" Regina called.

"Henry?" Nicholas tried only to see his nephew's backpack on the ground.

"Nicholas, what is it?" Snow asked.

"Those bastards took him." he growled.

As they ran out to catch up with them, Nicholas tracked them to the docks and saw Greg toss the last bean into the water creating a portal which they jumped in.

"No!" Emma cried as it closed on them, "We have to go after them!"

"Not only do we not know where they went, but Hook stole the last bean." Regina reminded in an equal panic.

"I don't care!" Emma yelled.

"Without it, there's no way to follow them."

"There has to be. We can't just let them take Henry."

"They've taken Henry?" Gold asked as he and Belle (with her memories returned) approached them.

"Yeah. You're the dark one, do something." David ordered.

"Gold, help us." Emma pleaded.

"There's no way." Gold replied, "I spent a lifetime trying to cross world to find my son. There's no way in this world without a portal."

"So that's it?" Regina asked hotly, "He's gone forever?"

"No he's not." Nicholas replied in anger.

"What is that?" Belle asked as she saw something out on the horizon. From the distance, they could tell that it was Hook's ship coming towards them.

"Hook." Emma said in hope, "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked him once he arrived at the dock.

"Helping." he replied.

"Well, you're too late." Nicholas retorted bitterly.

"Am I?" he asked.

"I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself?" Emma asked.

"Maybe I just needed reminding that I could." he said giving the final bean to Emma.

"Enough waiting around. Let's go." Regina snapped.

"Go? Where?" Hook asked, "I thought we were saving the town?"

"We already did." David informed.

"We need to get Henry. Greg and Tamara took him through a portal." Emma explained.

"Well, I offer my ship and my services to help follow them." he offered.

"Well, that's great, Hook, but how will we track them?" Regina asked.

"Leave that to me." Gold replied, "I can get us where we need to go."

"Then let's do it." Snow declared as they boarded the ship.

On the main deck, Gold summoned a pure white globe and pricked his finger on its needle. After that, he let his blood drip on it which formed a landmass which revealed Henry's location.

"Where is that?" Nicholas asked, "Where did they take Henry?"

"Neverland." Hook replied with dread in his voice. With a mighty throw, he tossed the bean into the sea creating a portal large enough for the ship.

"So who are we up against?" David asked over the roaring of the portal, "Who are Greg and Tamara?"

"They're merely pawns," Gold said, "Manipulated by forces far greater than they can conceive. They have no idea who they're truly working for."

"And who's that?" Emma asked.

"Someone we should all fear." he replied.

"Well, doesn't that sound reassuring?" Nicholas said sarcastically as they sailed into the portal.


	22. The Heart of the Truest Believer

**Sorry, guys! This took longer to finish than I thought. Originally, I was going to make where Nicholas had come to Neverland before with the League, but then I realized how pointless and unnecessary that would be. This chapter combines both Truest Believer and Lost Girl and has some emotional moments involving Nicholas's past, so if you guys have ever felt sad for Nicholas before, be prepared to cry ;)**

 **Oh, and good news. I've finally found the perfect actor to play Nicholas. Drum role, please...**

 **And the winner is...Jensen Ackles!**

 **I changed my mind from Sumpter given how young he is and while I like to go with the guy who plays Lucifer, I can't. Why? Because he was originally the first actor who played Robin Hood in this show. You know, the episode where he breaks in to steal Rumple's wand? That was him. So anyway, just try to picture Jensen with a little bit longer hair and as always, enjoy and let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

As the Jolly Roger finally made it through the portal, everyone on board looked at the night sky of Neverland. "Is that it?" Emma asked.

"Aye." Hook nodded as they stared at the island, "Neverland."

Instead of taking the ship as close to the island as he could, Hook decided to sail port and at a slower speed.

"Why are you slowing down?" Regina asked, "In case you didn't know, my son's life is in danger."

"Oh, I know, my hotheaded queen." Hook acknowledged, "My plan is to bring us to the far side of the island, link up with the widest part of the river, then we sail right through and take him by surprise. The irony."

"What irony?" she asked.

"Oh, I spent more time here than I care to remember trying to leave this place to kill Rumplestiltskin. And here I am, sailing right back into its heart with him as my guest of honor. It's not quite the happy ending I was hoping for."

"Yeah, life's funny like that." Nicholas nodded as he gazed out at the sea.

"First time on a ship, mate?" Hook asked.

"No, just the first time I've been on one that didn't go under the waves in a long time." Nicholas replied confusing everyone who heard him, "Last time I was on a ship like this, I was a newly freed man trying to get used to immortality."

"What do you mean by that?" Hook asked, "Newly freed?"

"Oh, I was a slave for the bitter part of ten years when I was younger." he replied, "You would've hated it. I was stuck in the middle of a desert kingdom where water was considered both a necessity and a treat."

"How did you escape, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I didn't." Nicholas replied looking at the captain, "Everyone else was killed in a single night; including the person who owned me."

"Bloody hell." Hook muttered, "You come from Xerxes, then?"

"No. Slave number 23 did." he replied softly as he stared out at the ocean again, "I'm just the one who got out."

As Emma looked out at the sea as well, her parents approached her. "Hey." Snow greeted hesitantly. Emma didn't respond. "What happened to Neal and Henry, it's not your fault. You can't blame yourself."

"I don't." she said before glaring at her parents with a blank expression, "I blame you. All this happened because I listened to you. You say good always wins? It doesn't. I didn't grow up in some fairytale land. My experience is different. That's all I can go on."

"And all we have to go on is ours." Snow replied trying to get over the shock of her daughter blaming them, "So if you would just let us share our wisdom-"

"I appreciate you trying to be parents." Emma cut off, "But we're the same age. We have equal amounts of wisdom. And all I want is Henry back. I never should have broken the curse. I should've just taken Henry and-"

"You're right." Snow interrupted, "Then you'd be together. We missed you growing up, Emma, and it haunts us every day."

"And that's why we're here now." David agreed, "We don't want you to have to go through the same thing, too. And you won't. We are gonna get our family back."

"How can you two be so infuriatingly optimistic?!" Emma shouted gaining everyone's attention.

"It's who we are." David calmly replied.

"Why?! Ever since you got your memories back, ever since you remembered that you're Snow White and Prince Charming, your lives have…they've-well, they've sucked!"

"No. No, we found you."

"And lost Neal and countless other people!"

"Emma," Mary Margaret said looking her daughter in the eye, "The minute I let go of the belief that things will get better is the minute I know they won't. We'll find Henry."

"No, you won't." Gold disagreed as he came out dressed in his old dark one clothes.

"Oh, that's a great use of our time, a wardrobe change." Hook remarked sarcastically.

"I'm gonna get Henry." he informed.

"We agreed to do this together." Nicholas glared.

"Actually, we made no such agreement." Gold retorted.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked.

"Because I wanna succeed."

"What makes you think I'm gonna fail?"

"Well, how could you not?" he asked, "You don't believe in your parents, or your friend, or in magic, or even yourself."

"I slayed a dragon and I watch Nicholas cheat death nearly on a daily basis. I think I believe." Emma shot back.

"Only what was shown to you. When have you ever taken a real leap of faith?" Gold asked, "You know, the kind where there's absolutely no proof? I've known you some time, Ms. Swan. And sadly, despite everything you've been through, you're still just that bail bondsperson, looking for evidence. Well, dearie, that's not gonna work in Neverland."

"I'll do whatever it takes." Emma said meeting his gaze.

"Well, you just need someone to tell you what that is. Sorry, dearie. Our foe is too fearsome for hand-holding. Neverland is a place where imagination runs wild. And sadly yours doesn't."

And with that said and done, Gold gave his cane a twirl and disappeared in an instant leaving it behind.

Sometime later, Emma went below deck in order to get herself ready for the upcoming battle; starting with a series of pull ups. Nicholas spotted her when she went down and decided to follow her.

"Would you like me to get you a pitcher of raw eggs?" he asked with dry humor, "Maybe play 'Gonna Fly Now' to get you pumped up before climbing up the stairs?"

"No thanks, I'm good." Emma grunted.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Nicholas asked dryly.

"Getting ready for a fight." she grunted again.

"Funny, I don't recall you ever doing anything like this in the previous fights you've had since we've met. I always thought it was a natural state." he joked, "Don't let Gold get you down."

"What do you want, Nicholas?" she asked jumping down.

"Hook wanted me to give you this." he said handing her a cutlass, "Evidently, Neal, or rather Baelfire as he was known back then, spent some time with him on this ship. This belonged to him."

"Didn't take him to be sentimental." Emma remarked.

"Well, sometimes even the littlest things from our pasts can hold the biggest memories." Nicholas reasoned.

"You got anything like that?" she asked.

"Yep. Take a look." he said as he lifted up his pants to just below his knees. Around his legs were straps that looked like they belonged with old sandals, "These were once part of the sandals I wore when I was a slave. While it was without a doubt, the most horrible decade of my life, I've never been able to part with them. The actual sandals wore down years ago, but these managed to survive. They remind me that no matter how much better my life would get as the years went by, I must never forget my time as a slave. If I were to forget that, then I'd forget about all the other people being owned like livestock in other parts of our realm. Sentimentality can have various meanings, Emma."

"Wow." was all she could say. Just then, the ship violently rocked against the rough waves outside. Nicholas and Emma came up to see Hook struggle with the helm.

"The hell's going on?" Nicholas asked.

"I'm trying to keep my ship steady, mate!" Hook said over the waves, "Prepare for attack!"

"Be more specific." Regina snapped.

"If you've got a weapon, then grab it!" he clarified as screeching filled the air.

"Why does that screeching sound familiar?" Nicholas asked himself aloud.

"What's out there?" Emma asked, "A shark?! A whale?!"

"A kraken?" David asked.

"Worse." Hook said as Snow, David and Emma looked over the starboard side. In the depths, they could see strikingly beautiful women swimming around and under the Jolly Roger.

"Oh, cripes!" Nicholas cursed, "Now I remember. Mermaids!"

"Aye." Hook nodded in fear, "Bloody mermaids."

"Mermaids?!" Emma shouted.

"Yes, and they're quite unpleasant."

"You think?" Regina asked bluntly.

"I'll try to outrun them." he informed.

"How many of them are there?!" Emma asked as the sea demons slammed their tails against the ship.

"I will not be capsized by fish!" David refused as he went over to the nearest puckle gun and readied a chain shot. As he fired, Emma and Mary Margaret threw a net over the side and managed to catch a mermaid as the others escaped.

"We caught one!" Snow alerted.

"What are you doing?!" Nicholas cried, "Let her go now!"

"Why?" Regina asked calmly, "It's not like she can do anything. I've had enough of this." she stated as she threw a fireball into the water scaring the rest off, "There. They're gone."

"Guys, we should really let this one go." Nicholas stressed nervously as Emma and Snow pulled in the net and Regina tied her down, "Trust me. In my experience, no good comes from capturing a mermaid."

"Flamel's right." Hook agreed, "Get that thing off my ship!"

"No." Regina coolly replied, "Now we have a hostage."

"I hate to say it, but I'm with Hook and Nicholas." David admitted, "Those things just tried to kill us."

"And perhaps we should find out why." she countered.

"How? By torturing her?" Snow asked as the mermaid reached for her conch shell.

"Well, if need be. Sure." Regina answered just before the mermaid blew the shell.

"Oh, cripes." Nicholas muttered, "We're in deep shit now."

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"A warning." the mermaid replied as a storm approached, "Let me go or die."

"Told you so." Nicholas said to them bluntly.

"What is this?" David asked threateningly in the mermaid's face, "What did you do?!"

"She used an old technique mermaids use to wreck ships when they come to close to their territory." Nicholas explained, "She just called up a storm that will only get worse and worse until it becomes a maelstrom."

"Let me go." she softly pleaded.

"Call it off or we'll make you call it off." Regina threatened.

"Threatening her isn't the way to motivate her." Snow said hotly.

"Well, I'm all out of fish food." Regina snapped back.

"Doesn't matter if you get her to talk." Hook argued, "You can't trust her. Mermaids are liars."

"Of course they are." Emma said dryly.

"Maybe they're just scared of Pan. If we let her go, maybe they'll be on our side." Snow reasoned.

"Or maybe she and her friends will come right back to kill us." Regina debated.

"I don't need my friends to kill you." the mermaid grinned as the storm became worse, "You'll kill yourselves. Now let me go."

"What the hell?!" David asked over the thunder.

"I told you, she called up a maelstrom on us." Nicholas repeated hotly.

David, in his anger and frustration, grabbed the nearest sword and held the blade against her throat. "Stop the storm, then we let you go." he forcefully negotiated. She shook her head with a smug grin just before David grabbed her head and was ready to slit her throat.

"That's more like it, Charming." Regina laughed evilly, "Filet the bitch."

Before he could do it, he looked at his wife and daughter's shocked expressions and had a quick change of heart. "No. We're not barbarians." he said stomping away from the girl.

"What we're going to be is dead." Emma remarked.

"Hold on!" cried Hook, "I'm gonna turn her around."

"Make it stop or die." Regina threatened the captive.

"We are not killers!" Snow shouted in protest.

"Yes, you are." the mermaid snapped, "And you've brought this death upon yourselves."

"This is why we should free her!"

"That feel-good nonsense, Snow, might play in the Enchanted Forest, but this, this is Neverland." Nicholas growled as the storm became worse.

"Keep your grip, pirate!" David shouted harshly.

"It wasn't me, mate! It was the ship!" Hook shouted back, "We're taking on water!"

"Now may I resume killing her?!" Regina asked.

"No!" David and Snow shouted.

"You kill her, and her kind have a personal vendetta against us." Snow lectured.

"Look, the queen is right." Hook admitted, "Flamel, you said you've dealt with this before. How the bloody hell did you stop it last time?!"

"We didn't!" he shouted as the ship rocked, "The mermaid who did this was inexperienced so it didn't last that long! Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case this time around! Besides, they already have a vendetta against us; they're just racist against humans!"

"Stop!" Emma shouted, "That's enough! We need to think this through!"

"I already have." Regina stated calmly.

"Sis, don't!" Nicholas shouted, but it was too late. With a wave of her hand, the mermaid turned into wood.

"There. That should stop the storm." she reassured.

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Nicholas dryly asked as the storm became even worse.

"Regina, what did you do?!" Emma shouted.

"No." Regina said in horror as a massive wave formed before them.

"What have you done?!" she shrieked as they rode the wave.

"I miss the Nautilus." Nicholas whimpered.

"Why would you do this?" Snow asked Regina.

"You're going to blame me?!" Regina asked over the howling wind.

"You turned the mermaid into wood!"

"I did something about it, which is more than what you can say!" she retorted.

"Undo your spell! Bring back the mermaid!" Snow ordered.

"And what, you'll win her over with your rainbow kisses and unicorn stickers?!" Nicholas shouted at the spoiled princess from the rear of the ship.

"Considering that your sister's plan failed, at least we could try!"

"You're such a naïve princess!" the siblings spat.

"And you two are such…" Snow couldn't even bring herself to finish; instead, she clocked Regina in the face.

"Is that your best?" Regina asked grinning.

"Not even close!" Snow snarled as lightning struck the ship's mast, "I am so tired of you ruining my life!"

"I ruined your life?!" Regina asked before slugging Snow.

"Hey!" David yelled trying to get to his wife while Nicholas tried to get to his sister.

"Hey, let the slags go. I need you at the mast." Hook said stopping the prince.

"Don't call my wife/sister a slag!" they shouted as they punched Hook who naturally fought back.

"Stop it!" Emma yelled as she took the helm. As everyone fought, Emma began to realize that the storm grew as everyone's anger grew. "It's not the mermaid. It's us! If you don't stop fighting, we're all gonna die! Don't you see we're causing the storm?!"

But nobody was listening. All they did was throw punches at each other.

"Hey!" Emma shouted as she stood on the railing, "Stop! You need to listen to me!"

Seeing no other option, Emma jumped over the side which snapped everyone out of their brawls. "No!" Snow cried.

"Emma!" Nicholas and David shouted. Originally, Emma was just going to swim back up as soon as everyone stopped fighting. Unfortunately, one of the pullies from the ship rope snapped and dropped right on her head in the water, rendering her unconscious.

"Dammit to hell." Nicholas muttered before jumping in after the blonde. As soon as he spotted her, Nicholas swam over to her and grabbed her before using his alchemy to extend his arm and grab the ship. With the others helping him up, the young alchemist pulled him and his friend over the side as she coughed up water.

"Told you." she breathed as the sky cleared and her parents held her close. Not long after, the party reached the shore and trudged up the sand.

"We don't have to do it this way." Regina offered, "I can fix the Jolly Roger. My magic is powerful enough. We can execute the pirate's plan."

"Sneak attack?" Emma asked, "Let's not be naïve. Save your magic. We'll need it later, because Pan already knows we're here. It's time we stop running. Gold was right. This place is run on belief and all of us have been too busy being at each other's throats to be believers. I was as wrong as anyone else. It's time for all of us to believe. Not in magic, but in each other."

"You wanna be friends?" Regina asked skeptically, "After everything that's happened between all of us?"

"I don't want or expect that." Emma replied, "I know there's a lot of history here and a lot of hate."

"Actually, I quite fancy you from time to time, when you're not yelling at me." Hook corrected smoothly which irked Nicholas.

"Shut up, pirate." he growled in his mind.

"We don't need to be friends. What we need to know is the only way to get Henry back is cooperation."

"With them?" David asked indicating to the siblings and pirate, "No, Emma, we have to do this the right way."

"And what's that?" Nicholas scoffed, "Follow your hair product trail through the jungle and find Henry at the expense of your sense of faith and hope? Seems like going by what the only person who has been on this island has to say is the better option."

"All we need to do is succeed." Emma continued, "And the way we do that is by just being who we are: a hero, a villain, a pirate, an alchemist. It doesn't matter which, because we're gonna need all those skills, whether we can stomach them or not."

"And what's your skill, Savior?" Regina asked.

"I'm a mother," she said not wavering in the slightest, "And now I'm also your leader. So either help me get my son back or get out of the way."

And with that, the newly appointed leader of the group stormed into the jungle with the others following.

Eventually, David took the lead as he made a path through the bushes with his sword. "The ridge is just a few hundred paces up ahead." Hook informed the prince.

"You really think we're gonna be able to see Pan's hideout?" Emma asked.

"From there, we should be able to see everything, including where he's keeping your son." he replied.

"You know, I could have just poofed us up here in an instant." Regina remarked with a huff.

"Where?" Nicholas asked, "Regina, have you any idea what's up here or anywhere on this godforsaken island?"

He then moved to the front when he saw David about to hack at a plant better left alone, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." he warned as he grabbed the prince's arm.

"I can handle a couple of thorns." David retorted stubbornly.

"I'd listen to him, mate." Hook recommended, "That's Dreamshade. It's not the thorns you have to worry about. It's the poison they inject you with. This is the source of the toxins I used on the dark one."

"The poison that almost killed Gold?" Emma asked.

"Indeed. I used a concentrated dose. In its natural form, death would be slower and far more painful. I suggest we go this way." he said indicating to another path on his right. David looked to his left and saw a different path.

"We'll go this way." he said leading the way.

"Control freak." Nicholas muttered loud enough to be heard as they pressed on.

"Your father's a distrustful fellow." Hook remarked as he walked with Emma and Nicholas.

"He's just not used to working with the bad guys." Emma replied.

"I can assure you, on this island, I am not the bad guy." Hook replied.

"Yeah, well, Pan's not supposed to be one either." she remarked.

"What possibly gave you that idea?" he asked.

"Every story I ever heard as a child."

"Well, they got it all wrong. Pan is the most treacherous villain I've ever faced. Tell me something, luv." Hook said curiously, "In these stories…what was I like? Other than a villain. Handsome, I gather."

"If waxed moustaches and perms are your thing." Nicholas mumbled feeling annoyed at the pirate's flirting.

"I take it by your tone, perms are bad?" asked Hook.

"We made it." David said as they reached the cliff.

"Pan's lair should be just down there." Hook informed.

"Where?" Regina asked, "All I see is jungle."

"The Dark Jungle, as the natives like to call it." Hook nodded, "Though, it does seem a bit bigger than the last time I was here."

"So this nature hike was for nothing." Regina huffed.

"Hook may have led us astray, but at least we're in a good position to start combing the jungle." David suggested while taking a shot at the pirate.

"Not exactly." Nicholas disagreed, "The Dark Jungle's the last place you wanna set foot. Best bet is for us to go around. We're gonna need our strength for that, I suggest we find a spot to make camp."

"You wanna sleep while my son is out there suffering?" Regina asked hotly.

"If we want to live long enough to save the boy? Yes." Hook nodded.

 **OUaT**

Later that evening, Emma woke everyone up and informed them of her meeting with Pan; and how he gave her a supposed map that would lead to Henry.

"He so likes his games." Hook said bitterly.

"What game?" Regina asked, "There's nothing there."

"If he said there's a map on this parchment, then there is."

"Great." Emma huffed, "So if I just stop denying who I really am, whatever that means, then we'll be able to read this thing."

"But how do we know Pan won't use it to lead us straight into a trap?" Regina asked.

"Because he doesn't need to." Nicholas replied as he smoked, "This whole island's his damn trap."

"There's no sign of him anywhere." David informed as he and Snow came back from scoping the area.

"Any luck with the map?" Snow asked.

"Don't hold your breath." Regina remarked annoyed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked.

"Don't you see what he's doing? Every second we spend talking about this is another second we're not looking for my son."

"You got a better idea?" she asked dryly.

"Magic. If there's a lock on there, I'll find a way around it."

"That's a bad idea, sis." Nicholas warned.

"Pan said it had to be me." Emma reminded.

"I'd listen to them, luv." Hook said to the queen, "Breaking Pan's rules would be unwise."

"Sadly, I agree with the pirate." David admitted.

"I'm winning you over. I can feel it." Hook joked.

"And your magic doesn't exactly have a gentle touch, Regina." Snow added.

"Use it on the map, it might blow up in all our faces." David stressed.

"Well, that's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Well, I'm not." Emma said rising to her feet, "If I'm the one who's supposed to figure out this thing, I need to do what Pan said."

"Great." Regina muttered.

"She'll get there." Snow defended, "If he's playing a game, you can win."

Despite the overload of confidence from her parents, Emma was completely stumped on what she need to do. With no other thought in mind, she tried the simple approach first.

"My name is Emma Swan." she said to the map.

"I'd wager the solution to Pan's riddle is a bit more complicated than that." Hook remarked.

"Don't hold anything back." Snow coached.

"I'm Henry's mother." Emma tried again, "I used to live in Boston, and I was a Bails bondsperson. I'm now the sheriff of Storybrooke."

"That election was a sham." Regina cut off.

"Regina," Nicholas snapped, "Not now."

"Don't you think maybe you're leaving some things out?" Snow asked gently.

"…I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, which apparently makes me the product of true love."

"Oh, for cripes sake, they just wanted to hear her say it." Nicholas thought bluntly.

"I was born in the Enchanted Forest and I was sent through a portal in a tree so that I could break a curse."

"And you were able to break the curse because…" David carried, "You're the…"

"Come on. You don't need to be embarrassed to say it." Snow reassured.

"Say what?" asked Hook.

"The 'S' word." Regina replied flatly.

After taking a moment to admit who she was, Emma gave in and said it. "I'm the Savior."

Unfortunately, the parchment was still blank.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Nicholas dryly joked.

"I don't get it. I said I'm the Savior. There's nothing I've denied more than that."

"No, it's okay. We'll figure it out." Snow soothed.

"No, you won't." Nicholas replied.

"But I can." Regina said as she took the map.

"Regina!" Snow exclaimed.

"I'm beginning to think there isn't a map on here. That doesn't mean it can't lead us to Henry."

"I thought we decided that using magic was a bad idea." David reminded.

"For once I agree with the prince." Hook threw in causing David to give him a surprised look, "Well, I told you we were getting along."

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma asked as Regina made the map glow with magic.

"A locator spell." she replied, "This parchment belonged to Pan. It'll lead us to him."

As the magic took its effect, the map floated past them and into the trees. "So it appears we will be venturing into the Dark Jungle after all." Hook dryly observed.

"You mean the place you told us never to set foot?" Emma asked flatly.

"That's the one."

"Well, Emma," Regina said, "You said you wanted to be the leader. Lead."

And with that, the party made their way into the dangers of Neverland once more. As they managed to safely maneuver through the jungle, Regina decided to take a moment to gloat.

"Ready to thank me?" she asked Emma.

"Actually, yeah." she admitted.

"If you'd let me do this sooner, maybe we'd have found him by now. Wait." Regina said stopping everyone as the map stopped, "He's there."

"Oh, yeah." Nicholas nodded, "I can smell his smugness. Shall we?" he asked as he readied his claws.

"While we still have the element of surprise on our side?" David asked as he drew his sword.

"Careful." Hook warned, "He may look like a boy, but he's a bloody demon."

As they continued on their path, the group saw nothing in sight beyond the surrounding plants and trees. "No one's here." Snow said stating the obvious, "Maybe your spell was wrong, Regina."

"Yes." she snapped, "Blame me. Again."

As they made it to the abandoned camp, Emma caught a glimpse of a single person wearing the same clothes as Henry. "Guys. Hold on. Is that…"

"Emma, wait." Nicholas warned, but the blonde ignored him.

"Henry!" she called as she ran towards the boy. But as he turned around, it was revealed to them all that it was Pan instead.

"Hi, Emma." he greeted smugly.

"Where the hell is Henry?" she demanded.

"You broke the rules. That's not fair." Pan whined with a fake pout, "Bad form. I expect more from you, Captain."

"Aye, and you'll get it." he retorted.

"Give Henry to me." Emma ordered.

"Sorry. Can't. Don't you know? Cheaters never win." Pan lectured as his followers, the Lost Boys, appeared with their weapons ready.

"Watch out for their arrows." Hook warned as everyone readied for battle, "They're laced with Dreamshade."

As soon as he mentioned the arrows, the Lost Boys fired at them from all sides. David did his best to deflect them as he covered Snow who fired her own arrows at the archers. Seeing one get past him, David knocked his wife out of the way as an arrow tore through his jacket. Regina used her magic to effortlessly render several of the teenagers unconscious while her brother knocked them out with an impressive display of hand-to-hand combat.

Emma tried to get to Pan but was tackled by one of his followers. Thankfully, as they tumbled down the hill, Emma pinned the boy to the ground and pressed her sword against his throat.

"Where's Henry?! Where is he?!" she shouted, but as she looked into the teen's eyes, her heart became filled with a feeling she hadn't felt in years. In her state of shock, she rose to her feet not taking her eyes away.

"Emma, are you alright?" Nicholas asked as Pan gave out a sharp whistle. Hearing their master's call, the Lost Boys returned to his side like loyal lapdogs.

"Remember what I told you." he said to Emma, "That map will show you where Henry is, only when you stop denying who you really are. I'll make sure to send Henry your regards."

And with that, Peter Pan and his Lost Boys ran back into the jungle in victory. Not much later, the group decided to set up camp and rethink their strategy. Nicholas took the chance to think things through as he smoked his pipe on a rock while Emma leaned against a tree next to him. Noticing their daughter's frustration, Snow and David decided to try and act like supportive parents again.

"Don't let him shake your confidence." Snow coached, "We've all had moments where we felt we couldn't prevail."

"She's right." nodded David.

"Guys, not now. Please." Emma begged as she walked off with Nicholas following her.

"Emma, wait." David pleaded only to be stopped by his wife. She then joined the two as they sat in silence staring at the map.

"Please talk to me." Snow begged.

"Is this the part when you two tell me about how you know exactly what I'm going through?" Emma asked, "How what happened to you in the Enchanted Forest is what I'm dealing with right now?"

"Depends if you're willing to listen." Nicholas replied.

"We had our chance and we lost. I lost." she retorted.

"Then you have to keep fighting." Snow stressed.

"You heard what Hook said. Pan is a demon."

"And you are a-"

"What? A Savior?" Emma snapped, "Because if that were true, this map would've shown us the way already."

"Maybe who you think you are isn't who you really you are." Nicholas offered.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Sometimes we think we know ourselves, but we need a push to show us the reality." he explained, "Just look at me. What do you see? The Evil Queen's brother? The Immortal Alchemist? The Mayor of Storybrooke's little brother? That's not what I see."

"What do you see?" Emma asked.

Nicholas hesitated before taking a deep breath and gave his answer. "The same thing I have always seen for nearly fifty years. It doesn't matter how hard Regina tries, how much time she spends trying to make up for lost time. The amounts of gifts and love she gives me…I can never see myself anything other than the lowly thing those bastards made me."

As he said this, tears silently rolled down his face as everyone, especially Emma and Regina, listened to him and looked to him with sympathy and remorse.

"I can't look at, hear, or even think about a whip without having a panic attack. I'm afraid that if even one thing is out of place, if a single speck of dust is spotted, someone will lash me. Hell, I can't even bring myself to get rid of the only scraps I have left that remind me of what I was; what I'll always be. A nameless boy raised as a piece of property. I will always…always be a slave. Broken, beyond repair."

"Oh, Abba." Regina thought sadly as she clenched her fists. Despite her hatred for Snow in the past, if you were ever to ask the queen who it was she hated most, she would say that the monsters who took her brother away from her and made him a slave.

"You know why you couldn't bring yourself to harm that boy earlier, Emma." Nicholas stated, "I know you do."

"Because he was just a boy." she replied clearly lying.

"No." Snow disagreed, "There was something else. We could see it in your eyes. Why did you stop?"

"Because when I looked at his face, I saw me." Emma replied as her voice shook, "That look in his eyes…the despair. I had it back when I was in the foster system. Just a lost little girl who didn't matter and didn't think she ever would. A little girl who cried herself to sleep at night 'cause she wanted her parents so bad."

As Emma said this, her own voice broke as tears began to form and fall. Nicholas, who managed to dry his own, bowed his head knowing the exact same pain his friend went through. "I couldn't even do that." he thought sadly, "Some of the older slaves threatened to kill me if I kept them up with my crying."

"And could never understand…why they gave her up."

"…And then you found us. It was too late." Snow whispered shedding tears of her own.

"It's just, on this island…I-I don't feel like a hero or a savior. I just feel like what I've always been. An orphan."

Finally admitting who she was, Emma sat in silence as the map revealed the true location of Henry. Rising to his feet, Nicholas gave the two women a moment alone while he composed himself. Putting a bit of distance between himself and the camp, Nicholas began to seethe with anger, the type that would only go away after hitting something. So, Nicholas took one look at the closest tree, clenched his hand as it sparked with alchemic electricity, and slammed it against the trunk causing it to deconstruct into millions of tiny splinters.

He didn't say anything, he only growled like a wild animal before storming back to camp to join the others.


	23. Good Form

**While this says Good Form, it's mixed up of scenes from Quite a Common Fairy, Nasty Habits and Good Form. Sorry this one took so long, but oh my God was this week hectic! No promises when the next one will be out, but I hope I'll be able to get through this half of the season pretty quick. Oh, and in case you guys didn't catch my update for the previous chapter, Nicholas will be played by Supernatural star Jensen Ackles, not Jeremy Sumpter.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoy and let me know what you guys think. One last thing, if anyone reading this is a fan of Kingdom Hearts and like my work, please read my story the Forging of the Key! It may say you need to read the other one first, but you don't if you don't want to. Please! It's such a good story! It's an OC story with a lot of good worlds and involves Kairi's family.**

 **If you like Star Wars, Narnia, Indiana Jones, Maleficent, Lilo and Stich, Halloweentown, Brave, and Frozen, this is the perfect story! It has plenty of action and a lot of twists in stories you know and love. Seriously, I have one follower and only one review and I've had it out for a year. The first one needs work, I admit, but this one is awesome!**

 **Please!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

"How much further?" Regina asked as the party walked through the ever humid jungle of Neverland.

"We should be getting close to Pan's lair." Emma replied as she took out the map. But as soon as she did, the X indicating Henry's location moved to an entirely different spot on the island.

"How is it behind us now?" Nicholas asked.

"You got us lost." Regina said flatly.

"No, she didn't." Hook replied, "It's the camp, Pan's moving it."

"He's playing tricks on us." David stated.

"If Pan's camp keeps moving, how are we gonna find Henry?" Emma asked.

"I assume that's Pan's idea." Nicholas speculated.

"So this whole trek has been for nothing." said Regina, "I told you walking was idiotic. If I can just use some magic, we can materialize in the camp and grab Henry."

"We don't know where the camp is. Have you even been listening?" Snow asked.

"Pan will have shields against magic." warned Hook, "I fear such an attempt would end in your death, and, more importantly, mine, which is why we're walking."

"Well, then what's your idea?" she asked, "How are we going to find it?"

"By using someone he trusts." he replied.

"Who?" David asked, "Because I guess he certainly doesn't trust you."

"A fairy who lived here when I was about. She might still be on the island. She'd be an inside source. Knows all about the cam, can get us in. She might even have some pixie dust left. Perhaps we could fly in."

"You mean fairy dust." Emma corrected.

"Actually, pixie dust is much stronger. Think nuclear fairy dust." Nicholas explained.

"Wait. A fairy…Tinkerbell?" Emma asked not believing her ears.

"What'd you expect? We're in freaking Neverland." Nicholas replied.

"Bad idea." Regina denied, "Mark my words. This Tinkerbell is not going to save us."

"What makes you say-oh, right." Nicholas said as he remembered his sister's past with the fairy. As they day went on, the group eventually realized that the former fairy was out to end Regina's life, which she nearly did shortly before they found them and learned of her change of heart. So thankfully, they found themselves with a new ally. The following morning, they decided to review their plan of attack.

"This is where they're keeping Henry." Emma said as she pointed to a dirt map, "According to, uh…"

"Tinkerbell." she finished.

"Yeah, I know. Still weird to say." Emma said awkwardly.

"Tink is fine." she offered.

"Not sure that's any better." Emma muttered, "Anyway, she says that there are sentries positioned across the front, which is why we are gonna come in through the back entrance here. She's gonna talk her way in. Once she makes sure the coast is clear, then we are going to sneak on in."

"You'll still have to deal with any Lost Boys once you're inside." Tink reminded.

"I think we can handle a few children with pointy sticks." Regina dryly reassured.

"It's not the sticks you need to worry about." snapped Tink, "It's the poison they're dipped in."

"Dreamshade. Hook warned us." Nicholas informed while smoking.

"Good. Because one nick, and you'll spend the last of-"

"Poison sticks equal death. We got it." David interrupted, "Now can we put this rescue mission into action?"

"I wonder how long he thinks he can fool the others besides me and Hook that he got cut the other day?" Nicholas flatly thought as he glanced at the former shepherd.

"I'm ready to go. Just as soon as you tell me the exit plan." Tink informed. No one spoke up at the mention of an exit plan. "You do have an escape plan, don't you?"

"Well, to be honest, the majority of us thought we'd be done by now." Nicholas bluntly remarked.

"If you don't have a way off this island, then none of this matters."

"We'll figure it out." said Regina.

"No one comes and goes from this place unless he allows it." Tink stressed, "This is a waste of time."

"When it comes to family, we always find a way." David argued.

"You don't get it. Let me show you something. You know what this is?" Tink asked as she pulled out a wrist watch, "I got it from the people who brought your son here for Pan."

"Greg and Tamara?" Emma asked, "Where are they? Why'd they give you that?"

"I got it off the girl's body." Tink clarified, "Spent half the night cleaning the blood off it. And the other guy…well, there wasn't enough left of him to find anything useful."

"So much for tearing out Owen's trachea." Nicholas bluntly thought in disappointment.

"This is what Pan does to people he employs. What do you think he's gonna do to you?" Tink asked as she walked off, "I'm not sticking my neck on Pan's chopping block without a way off this island. When you figure that out, you know where I live."

"Where the hell is she going?" Snow asked.

"I'll get her." David offered only to be stopped by his daughter.

"Don't, she's right. If there's one thing I've learned, you never break in somewhere unless you know the way out."

"And where'd you get that, in bail bondsperson school?" Regina asked.

"Neal taught me that." Emma retorted.

"What about you, Hook?" David asked, "You got off this island before."

"Yes, aboard my ship, which would require some form of magic to create a portal, which I got from Pan in a deal I don't think he's ready to repeat."

"So no one's ever left the island without Pan's permission?" Regina asked hotly.

"One man." Hook replied, "Emma's partner in crime, Neal."

"Maybe we can find out." Hook suggested as he led the way. Eventually, the party came to an abandoned cave covered with a door.

"What is this supposed to be?" Nicholas asked.

"So what, Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?" Emma asked.

"Well, if someone would be kind enough to lend me a hand." Hook joked, "What do you say, Savior?"

"I'll do it." David said stepping in as he raised the door.

"Ladies first." Nicholas gestured.

"Hook!" Emma called from inside the cave, "What is this place? What are we doing here?"

Hook tried to use his namesake to light a torch but was quickly shown up by Nicholas who simply snapped his fingers with a smirk. As light filled the room, everyone could see drawings scratched onto the walls, clearly made by a child.

"Neal." Emma realized, "This is where he lived.

"Aye." Hook nodded, "Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy. This was his home."

"So you think he may have left a clue as to how he escaped from here?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, let's hope so, or we'll be lost just like he was."

Given the lack of things inside the cave, Emma and Nicholas resulted in going by what was drawn on the walls while the others searched through what was left.

"Any luck on your end?" Nicholas asked Emma.

"I can't tell yet. I'm hoping Neal left something useful in the details of one of these. Maybe a map, some kind of clue." she explained before spotting a coconut candle next to David, "Hand me that candle."

"Has found anything yet?" Nicholas asked.

"No potted bean plant or swirling vortex under the rug, if that's what you mean." Hook replied, "There are other drawings on the far wall, but as far as I can tell, that's all they are. Probably just a way to pass the time and keep occupied."

"You knew him pretty well, didn't you?" Emma asked.

"We spent some time together." Hook replied in sadness.

"What's all this?" Nicholas asked the others.

"Uh, just some cups and bowls he fashioned from things he found here." Snow replied.

"Don't know how great a cup this coconut would make." David said as he inspected one, "It's filled with holes."

"Looks more like a lid, to me." Nicholas observed.

"Uh, maybe it's a tiny colander." Snow speculated.

"Yes, because preteen Balefire probably made lots of pastas." Regina said sarcastically.

"Or better yet, something well more useful." Emma said as she took the lid from David, "Hook, snuff out that torch."

As he did, the light from the candle shined through the little holes up to the ceiling. "Am I supposed to be impressed that he made a nightlight?" Regina asked.

"Look up." Emma said. Everyone did and saw that the little lights greatly resembled one thing in particular, "Stars."

"It's a map." Nicholas observed, "Nicely done, Emma."

"To where?" David asked.

"Home." Emma replied.

"How can you be so sure it's a map?" Snow asked.

"Star gazing was a hobby I picked up on after I escaped Xerxes." Nicholas replied as they all looked at the ceiling, "Had to do something to pass the time when I wasn't having a night terror."

"He's right." Hook nodded, "There was a short time in Neverland when Balefire was aboard my ship. I taught him to navigate using the stars. What you're looking at is the fruit of my labors."

"Then you can read it?" Regina asked.

"Sadly, no."

"I thought you just said you taught him how?" David asked.

"You taught him to how to keep it in code, didn't you?" Nicholas asked.

"Aye. He was an apt pupil." Hook nodded.

"So you're saying the only person who can read this map is Neal?" Snow asked.

"Which means the only person who can read it is dead." Emma pointed out before leaving the cave with her parents following her.

"Certainly doesn't look like our fearless leader is completely over her old flame." Regina observed speaking to her brother.

"Is that what you've gathered?" he asked dryly.

"Guess you struck out on this one, too."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Stop it." Regina said flatly, "Don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been looking at her since we got here and that I didn't see your little moment back in the mines."

"Is there a point you're trying to make, sister dear?" Nicholas asked as his temper began to rise.

"What exactly do you think will happen when this is all said and done?" she asked.

"I expect us to be back home with Henry and be as far away from Peter Pan and Neverland as possible. What did you have in mind?" he snapped.

"Nicholas," Regina sighed.

"No, go on." he urged, "Speak your mind. Nothing's stopped you before, why stop now?"

"I'm just saying, that maybe Emma isn't exactly the best choice for you right now."

"Are you saying this because you hate her and her parents or because you're acting like an over-protective sibling again?" Nicholas asked, "And despite what feelings you think I have for her, all that matters is getting Henry back. Besides, even if I did- and I'm not saying I do, because I don't! What future would I have with her? She's the Savior and I'm an immortal monster. So let's just drop it and try and find another way to get out of here."

"Stop calling yourself that." Regina sighed as the others came back in. Emma went back to her searching and discovered a chilling sight; a patch of the wall covered in tally marks.

"Whoa." she said.

"What is it?" David asked.

"It appears Neal marked his days trapped on this island." Hook observed.

"Yeah, but it looks like he stopped at some point." Nicholas pointed out.

"Because he got off the island." Snow said with her annoying sense of hope.

"He was here longer." Emma denied.

"Then why would he stop?" David asked.

"Because he lost hope." Nicholas replied.

"You got that from scribbles?" Regina asked.

"It's what I did every time I went to a new foster home." Emma pointed out, "I counted days until counting seemed pointless. You ever do that, Nicholas?"

"I didn't learn to count until I was thirteen. Besides, I had forgotten most of what my family was like so there was no real sense in hoping to escape. Especially when you're raised not to hope and think that all you'll ever be is a filthy slave." he said bluntly before pretending to be peppy, "I'm not bitter~!"

"You think Henry's lost hope too." David said to Emma.

"Pan said that he would."

"Hey. We're gonna rescue him."

"Yeah, I know that and you know that, but Henry doesn't know that." Emma reminded, "Pan wants him to lose faith."

"So what, you want to send him a message?" Regina asked, "Because I haven't seen a Neverland post office. What are you suggesting?"

"We take a page from Pan and we start being clever. We need to send a simple sign, a sign that we're coming."

"Yeah, with Lost Boys running around, trying to kill us all?"

"Yeah, maybe it's time we used that to our advantage." Snow suggested.

"How?"

"Follow me, I'll show you." she said leading them out of the cave. At their newly made campsite, Snow and Emma sat in front of the fire as they made snares for Snow's plan.

"A trap?" Regina scoffed, "That's your plan?"

"The Lost Boys wanna come after us, we need to go after them." Snow replied.

"You really think a Lost Boy is gonna betray Pan?" Hook asked.

"David, we need more vines." Snow informed while ignoring the pirate.

"On it." he said, "You're coming with me, pirate."

"Why is that?"

"Because we need more rope." Emma reminded.

"If the lady insists." Hook relented as he went off with David. As this happened, Nicholas, once again, took a moment to smoke as he stared off into space.

"Hey, Nicholas," Snow said, "You mind giving us hand?"

"Hmm." he said not paying attention.

"Nicholas." Snow said again, "Nicholas!"

"Here." Regina said picking up a rock, "Let me."

She then threw it directly at her brother's head only to watch him catch it without so much as looking. Letting out a puff of smoke, he looked to his sister with an unimpressed look.

"Throwing a rock? That was your big idea?" he asked.

"Worked, didn't it?" she retorted, "Now stop puffing like a chimney and help us."

"Fine." he sighed as he reached into his vest pocket. Pulling out a piece of thread, Nicholas held it in his fist which sparked with alchemy before throwing it into the air and watched as it came back down as rope. "There. Now may I go back to smoking, please?"

"Why do always do that?" Emma asked.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Smoke at every chance you get even when we're about to face danger."

"It helps me think." he replied before taking a deep breath and letting out a ring of smoke, "Besides, it's not like it can kill me. Though, I don't recommend doing it. It's an unhealthy habit."

"Then why do it?" she asked bluntly.

"It's not unhealthy for me." Nicholas chuckled while sticking it back in his mouth. Eventually, David and Hook came back with more rope and possible good news. Hook had discovered a chance at finding his late brother's sextant on the island which could help navigate with Neal's map.

"You're telling us about this now?" Emma asked hotly.

"How do we know you're not lying?" Regina asked.

"He'd have nothing to gain from it, guys." Nicholas defended, "Seriously, stop trying to find a reason not to trust Hook and just accept his help. This is beyond getting old."

"Aye, thanks, mate." Hook said to the alchemist who nodded back, "Anyway, it's the best hope yet we've had of an exit plan. And don't forget, we're gonna need one."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Emma asked.

"Emma," Hook whispered, "You were right. We need to get that message to Henry. Every day without hope is a day closer to becoming a Lost Boy. Your father and I should go."

"Hook's right." David agreed.

"You wanna split up?" Snow asked.

"It's the last thing I wanna do. But there's a chance he can get us home."

"Okay." she relented.

"Emma," he said looking deep into his daughter's eyes, "While I'm gone, just-"

"Listen to my mother?" she teased.

"Be careful."

"Always am."

"And when you send that message to Henry, add something to it, would ya? Tell him…tell him grandpa loves him." he said before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh. Um, okay." Emma said surprised, "Good luck."

"Yeah. You too." David whispered before going to his wife.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. I just gotta go." he said as he pulled her in close.

"I'll see you soon." Snow said with love.

"Well, you know," David said nervously, "Neverland's a dangerous place, and you know, you-you just never know what's gonna happen."

"David. You're gonna be fine." Snow reassured before sharing a passionate kiss with her husband.

"I love you." he whispered before leaving.

Soon afterwards, they three women and Nicholas set up the trap which was only a net hanging over a pig being hunted by a Lost Boy. With a shot from her bow, Snow tried to trap him with it, but was unsuccessful due to the boy moving out of the way. So, to make sure he didn't get away, Nicholas used his alchemy to make a cage around the boy instead.

"I knew this plan wasn't gonna work." he muttered as they approached the cage.

"What are you doing?!" the boy exclaimed, "Are you trying to start a war with Pan?!"

"Pan started the war when he kidnapped my son." Emma spat.

"But that doesn't make you our enemy." Regina reassured as she made a candy bar appear in her hand.

"What's that?" he asked defensively as Nicholas brought the cage down.

"Chocolate. I thought you might like the taste of something sweet." Regina replied smiling.

"We don't wanna hurt you." Emma informed, "We just need you to deliver a message to Henry."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you had a home and a family once and you stopped believing you could get back to them. Now we're here. We can help not just Henry, but all of you. We can get you home."

For a moment, the boy seemed willing to take their offer after taking the candy, but this was proven wrong when he threw it into the trees. "Don't you get it?" he asked, "I'm here because I don't want to go home. None of us do."

"Pan's a monster. Look what he did to you." Emma pointed out indicating to the cut on his face.

"Oh, Pan didn't do that." he laughed, "Henry did."

"You're lying." Emma said trying to control her anger.

"Am I?" he asked smugly. Next thing he knew, Emma shoved him against the nearest tree and began to strangle him, "It's too late. Henry is a Lost Boy now. Your boy is one of the most vicious new recruits we've had in ages!"

Having enough, Snow pulled her daughter off the child before she did anything she would regret. "Don't let him get to you."

"Enough of this." Nicholas hissed as he slammed his hand against the boy's mouth before he performed his alchemy.

"What are you doing?" Snow asked the angry alchemist.

"Speeding things along. Either do as we say or else." Nicholas threatened.

"Or else what?" the boy asked.

"This." Nicholas snarled as his hand surged with alchemic electricity over the boy's face. Filled with pain, the boy screamed at the top of his lungs as blood erupted from his face. With his face and hands covered in his own blood, the boy sank to the ground and covered what was left in pain just before Nicholas grabbed him again and healed the injury he inflicted. In a bright light, the boy's face was completely healed, even the cut Henry gave him was gone.

"Next time I do that, I won't so courteous as to heal you. Understand?" Nicholas asked. As the teen looked up at him, he could swear that one of the alchemist's eyes was glowing red in the shadow on his face.

"Nicholas, how could you do that?!" Snow cried in horror.

"Because I am tired of having to tip-toe my way around this island because of you and your husband's constant nagging about how things ought to be done the 'right' way." he snapped, "What better way to convince a stubborn, adolescent child to do something than by using the fear of pain? Emma was right, we don't need to worry about morality here. Results are the only things that matter, and if being this brutal to our enemies is what gets us closer to Henry, then I'm prepared to shed as much blood as necessary."

After he heated rant, Nicholas looked back to the cowering boy with a terrifying glare. "Now," he growled, "Where is he?!"

"Despite how proud I am of your display in methods, brother dear," Regina interjected, "I have something better in mind."

"Don't you think he's been through enough?" Snow asked.

"Not hardly." Nicholas muttered, "What did you have in mind?"

"Simple, I tear out his heart and he'll do exactly as we say."

"This is not how we do things." Snow lectured, "Emma, we can find another way to get Henry."

"Really?" Regina asked, "And what do you think, Emma?"

"…I think we need to talk to our son." she replied.

"We can't do this, that is brutal." Snow stressed.

"I know, but she can." Emma said as she pulled her mother to the side and held her back.

"Emma!"

"Do it, Regina." Emma ordered.

"Emma!" Snow cried.

"I'm sorry." Emma whispered as Regina did the deed. Sometime later, Emma sat in silence as her mother stood next to her disappointed in her decision.

"Mary Margaret, I'm sorry." Emma apologized.

"You don't have to apologize to me." she replied flatly, "It's Henry I'm worried about."

"I know. That's why I'm willing to let Regina and Nicholas do whatever it takes."

"When we finally get to him, I just wanna make sure the line is still there."

"What line?"

"Between what Regina and Nicholas are willing to do and what you are."

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get him home." Emma replied.

"But the cost can't be this family."

"It won't be."

"You can stand there and huff all you want, princess." Nicholas remarked as he smoked, "But you know that what we did was the best option. So stop pouting because we didn't do things your way."

"Second thoughts?" Regina asked after letting the boy go.

"Let's get him that message." Emma answered.

"Oh, we're gonna do more than that." Regina informed as she pulled out and separated a compact mirror, "We're gonna see him."

Eventually, the boy did as he was forced to do, deliver the mirror to Henry. Thanks to Regina's magic, the three women and Nicholas were able to have a magical facetime with the boy.

"Henry, are you okay?" Regina asked.

"Henry, can you hear me?" Emma asked.

"Mom?" Henry asked.

"I'm here too, Henry!" Snow said happily.

"Hey, kiddo!" Nicholas added.

"No." Henry denied, "This is a trick.

"No. No, it's not a trick. Henry, I promise you this is real." Emma reassured, "Kid it's Operation Cobra Rescue. It's us."

"You're here?"

"Yes. We're coming to get you."

"There's someone coming." he warned, "It's Pan. I-I gotta go."

"We love you." Regina said hoping to say it at least one more time before he tossed the mirror away.

"You think he's okay?" Snow asked as they went back to camp.

"He's fine." Nicholas reassured, "I raised him to be tougher than anything those boys can dish out. Besides, he's a survivor. He knows we're coming so he knows he has something to survive for."

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Emma." Snow apologized, "I'm just…I know how easy it is to give into the darkness. I didn't want you to-"

"She didn't." Regina interjected, "We did. That's what Nicholas and I are here for."

"I smell rum and hair gel." Nicholas informed as he sniffed the air.

"That would be us." David informed as he and Hook joined them.

"Aha! He admits it!" Nicholas exclaimed pointing at the prince who rushed up to passionately kiss his wife, "Get a room, why don't you?"

"Where's the sextant?" Regina asked.

"I'm afraid Pan got to it first." Hook informed as the couple separated for air.

"Not that I'm complaining, but-"

"Okay, I'm complaining." Emma said bluntly in disgust at her parents' display.

"What I wouldn't give for another sleeping curse." Regina muttered.

"Hook," David said after they finally finished kissing, "He saved my life."

"You sure you wanna tell them that, mate?" Hook hesitantly asked.

"On our trek, we were ambushed by Lost Boys. Pinned down, outnumbered. But Hook, he risked his life to stop me from getting hit by a poisoned arrow. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be alive. Your flask, please."

Hook pulled it out and watched the prince uncork it. "I thought he deserved a little credit."

"Thank you." Hook nodded as the prince took a drink and then gave the flask to his wife.

"To Hook." she praised before taking a swig.

"I don't do rum." Regina said when Snow offered it to her.

"I do." Nicholas informed as he took the flask and drank, "To Hook."

"To Hook." Emma nodded as she did the same.

"Thank you." Hook nodded, "All of you. And while I am very much enjoying basking in your good graces, for a change, keeping the prince alive all day has left me weary. Goodnight."

"Well, today was certainly productive." Nicholas said once it was just him and Emma.

"Hopefully, things will keep going this way. Then we can get Henry and get the hell out of here." Emma nodded.

"What? You're not enjoying our little humid as hell, deadly, tropical rainforest vacation from hell?" he asked playfully.

"If you like it here so much, we can just leave you behind, if you want." Emma teased.

"Come on. You'd miss me and you know it."

"To be honest, I'd rather be off in Middle Earth fighting Orcs instead of a bunch of teenagers. Think it's too late to join up with the Fellowship?"

"Heh, heh, hate to burst your bubble, Em, but that story ended a long time ago." Nicholas chuckled.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Well…"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Emma deadpanned, "You went to Middle Earth?!"

"The books and movies may say nine companions, but there were far more than you'd think." he replied, "I'm in more stories than most even know, Emma."

"Anything I'd be interested in?" she asked with a coy smirk.

"Uh," Nicholas stuttered. Despite normally being calm, cool and collected and having a (brief) relationship with one of the biggest, most beautiful flirts in Storybrooke, Nicholas was still nervous when it came to attractive women flirting with him; and seeing as it was Emma for a change, he was even worse than ever.

"Uh, w-we-well, wha-wha-"

"Nicholas, relax. I'm just messing with you." Emma said before walking off with an extra sway in her hips. "I just love teasing him." she thought grinning.

"Why'd I have to go and fall for a girl like her?" Nicholas asked in his mind.


	24. Dark Hollow

**Alrighty, folks. Here's another chapter in the awesome story in the Evil Queen's Brother. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT of its characters.**

Later that evening, Emma decided to do the one thing she never thought she would ever do, take magic lessons from her step-grandmother the Evil Queen. It was a tough decision, one that her parents were clearly against, but knowing what or rather who was at stake, Emma realized there was no other choice.

"Focus." Regina instructed. The current lesson was trying to light a camp fire, "Concentrate." she snapped.

"It's kind of hard when you're talking in my ear." Emma shot back.

"And when the wind blows or it's raining, or someone's shooting arrows at you. Yes, concentrating's hard. That's the point. Find your anger and use it to focus." Regina lectured.

"No. There has to be a way without going dark." Emma debated.

"The only one who can make sure that doesn't happen is you, Emma." Nicholas informed while enjoying yet another smoke.

"You're such a pathetic waste of ability." Regina diminished.

"And you're a monster." Emma retorted hotly.

"Smell that?" Regina asked.

"What?"

"Smoke." she said pointing at the slowly building flame. Nicholas then noticed Hook have a brief conversation with Emma's parents before they decided to gather their things.

"Where you guys going?" she asked.

"To get firewood." Hook answered.

"Water." David lied as Hook lied.

"Guys, what's going on?"

"Neal's alive." Snow blurted causing Nicholas to choke on his smoke.

"Oh, just my luck." he muttered as he coughed.

"Neal i-is…alive?" Emma softly asked.

"Maybe. Sorry, she deserved to know." Snow said to David and Hook.

"Ever the blabber mouth, eh, Snow?" Nicholas asked while coughing, "Oh, what's in that stuff?"

"If we head out now, maybe we can find him before dark." David offered.

"Why?" Regina asked, clearly unhappy, "So we can make another detour from finding my son?"

"Regina, we all want to save Henry," Snow reminded, "But if Neal's here, we have to-"

"No, we don't." she snapped, "This is a waste of time. He's toying with us."

"I don't think so." Snow denied before going over to a patch of tracks, "Look. More scuffling. Someone was definitely resisting."

"How do we know that means Neal?" Emma asked.

"Well, then someone was fighting for his life."

"Are you really going to fall for this?" Regina asked, "Fine. You wanna follow the evil munchkin's dirt road? Be my guest."

"Wait." Nicholas said as his sister walked away, "Sis, where are you going?"

"To save our son."

"We need to stick together." Emma stressed.

"No, we don't." Regina laughed, "You may be prepared to risk Henry's life over some heartbroken fool's errand, but I'm not. I'm tired of waiting around. Nicholas, come on."

Instead of following his sister, Nicholas looked back and forth between her and the others. Seeing this, Regina stopped and looked to her sibling hotly.

"Are you coming or not?" she snapped.

"I-"

"I see. Looks like I accused the wrong person of being a fool." Regina said coldly, "While you're busy acting like a lapdog for these morons, I'll be getting Henry. See you around, little brother."

And with that, the Evil Queen left her brother with the Charmings and pirate.

"Oh, she's such a hot head." Nicholas groaned.

"What if she's right? Pan could be lying." Emma said.

"Just because it seems too good to be true doesn't mean it is." Snow reassured, "Don't give up. You owe it to Henry to find out if his father's still alive, and you owe it to yourself. The tracks lead directly into that cave." she informed once they reached the end of the trail.

"So this is where Pan's keeping Neal." Nicholas observed, "Yah! We go save my crush's ex!"

"If the cave is some sort of prison, why aren't there any guards posted to stop us?" David asked.

"Because this prison doesn't require guards." Hook informed solemnly, "Echo Cave."

"You know it?" Snow asked.

"All too well. I lost half my crew inside those rock walls. The only way to rescue someone from inside is to reveal a secret."

"A secret?" she asked, "That's all?"

"Your darkest secret." Hook clarified.

"Oh, crap." Nicholas thought, "Well, at least I have plenty to choose from."

"Echo Cave derives its name from an old saying: the deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo. The cave demands that you reveal a truth about yourself. A secret you would never admit to anyone."

"This is ridiculous." Emma said flatly.

"Don't kill the messenger, luv."

"Even if we spill our guts, how do we know Neal's still alive in there?" Nicholas asked.

"Because this is what Pan wants." Hook replied, "He wants us to rescue him."

"Why?" David asked.

"So that we reveal our secrets. He believes once we do, our secrets will destroy us."

"Ain't that a pleasant thought?" Nicholas said bluntly as they ventured into the cave. Once inside, they came to a cliff and saw a bamboo cage on a rock column over a gorge with Neal inside.

"Emma!" Neal called out as he spotted her.

"Neal." she whispered.

"It must be a hundred feet across." Snow speculated.

"A hundred and eight, to be precise." Nicholas corrected, "Though something tells me I can't just make a bridge and get him out of here."

"Even if we fashioned a rope, there's nothing to attach it to." David observed, "We can't swing over."

"So what do we do?" Emma asked.

"I told you what needs to be done." Hook reminded, "Consider this the moment of truth; literally. Now who wants to kick things off?"

"So what? Someone tells their secret and they sprout wings?" Emma skeptically asked.

"I don't know the particulars, only what I've been told." Hook retorted.

"Well, how do you know it'll work?" David asked.

"There's only one way to find out, I suppose." Hook said with a heavy sigh, "I kissed Emma."

"You did what?!" David asked while Nicholas nearly did the same.

"David, now is not the time." Snow reminded.

"I already told Mary Margaret, so technically it's not a secret." Emma informed, "But it was just a kiss. How's that your darkest secret?"

"It's what the kiss exposed. My secret is, I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of my first love, of my Milah. To believe that I could find someone else that is, until I met you."

As soon as Hook finished, the ground shook and a piece of a bridge formed at the edge of the cliff.

"Uh, Mary Margaret," David said only to be cut off by his wife.

"No, no. No. Me next." she said nervously, "Ever since the curse broke, since we found each other, since we found Emma and all of that happiness, there is something I haven't wanted to admit. Our daughter is a beautiful, smart, amazing woman whom I love very much, and of whom I could not be more proud. But she's all grown up. And as much as I wanna pretend I'm okay with that, I'm not. We missed it, David. What we have with her is unique, but it's not what I wanted. We were cheated out of everything, her first step, her first word, her first smile. We missed it all."

Hearing this made Nicholas feel guilty. True, he wasn't the one who cast the curse. But he didn't do anything to stop Regina and that made him angry. Despite his anger towards Snow and David, he still had a conscience and that conscience told him then that he should have done something because he knew one thing that he had known for a long time.

No parent or child should live without one another.

"What are you saying?" David asked.

"When we get off this island and get back to Storybrooke, I want another go at it. I wanna have another baby."

Another piece of the bridge was formed, and yet David looked absolutely heartbroken.

"Nothing in this world would make me happier, and I know with all my heart that you would make an amazing mother. But it can never happen…at least not with me."

"What do you mean?"

"When Hook and I went to search for the sextant, he was really taking me to find a cure."

"A cure for what?" Snow asked growing angry.

"Dreamshade." David whispered.

"The Lost Boys, the arrow-you pushed me out of the way-"

"I wasn't fast enough. I was hit. Hook was able to find a cure, but it comes at a price. I can't leave Neverland. If I do, I'll die."

And so, another piece formed. Only one more was needed to complete the bridge. Nicholas decided it was his turn.

"Alright." he muttered as everyone looked to him, "As all of you, save for Hook, know, my immortality comes from my Philosopher's Stone. But what none of you, not even Regina, know is how it works."

Moving it from his chest, Nicholas willed the Stone to show itself in the flesh of the palm of his hand.

"The Stone isn't some sort of wondrous achievement. It's the devil's work."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked as Nicholas clenched his fist in frustration.

"The Stone can only be created by sacrificing multiple human lives. It's the energy of a person's life force condensed into physical form; the more lives used, the stronger the Stone and the longer it will last. But mine is different. Unlike other Stones, mine is what you could call 'perfected.' An average Philosopher Stone eventually burns out and disintegrates once all its energy is used up. But mine won't, it recycles the energy of the souls that make it up in a constant cycle every time I use my alchemy. The only reason I have so much power is because of the number of souls the bastard who gave me my stone used."

"How many lives were sacrificed for it?" Snow asked feeling sorry for Nicholas. But the alchemist looked away in both shame and pain.

"Nicholas, how many?" Emma asked softly. With a deep breath, he gave his answer.

"536, 329." he informed causing everyone to gasp in horror, "And that was only half the population of Xerxes."

"What happened to the other half?" David asked.

"What do you think?" Nicholas asked, "He used them to make a Stone for himself; though, it's not perfected like mine. But that's not my secret."

"What is it then?" Emma asked.

"The souls of the people were like an ocean of screaming and despair flowing throughout my body. One of the main reasons why I tried to commit suicide so many times was to stop the voices. But eventually, I tried to console them and make peace with them. Unfortunately, one by one, their souls' energy was being used to keep me alive and to fuel my powers. Day by day the amount of screaming slowly dwindled to the few I managed to help and befriend. I had actually wanted them to stay because they were the only ones I could relate to. But every time they faded away, it was like kneeling on the floor next to their deathbeds as I felt them leave me. My secret is, that even though I was sad that they were gone…I was actually happy that the screaming in my head was gone. I was happy that their individuality and very existence was gone. What kind of person does that? I can never forgive myself for that. Never. I really am a monster."

Everyone became sad for Nicholas when he admitted his secret, they didn't even notice the bridge completing itself until Emma took a glace and headed over Neal's cage.

"You okay?" Emma asked trying to get over what Nicholas said.

"Yeah." Neal nodded, "But Henry-"

"It's okay. We're gonna take care of him. Just need to get you out of here first." Emma said before she tried hacking at the cage with her cutlass.

"Wh-Emma, Emma, Emma, Emma!" Neal exclaimed over the clanging, "You know that's not how this works. It's okay, you can tell me anything."

"…When I heard you might be here, that you might be still alive…I knew I should be happy, but I wasn't. I was terrified." she admitted, "I didn't understand why until now. From the moment I saw you in New York, the instant you stepped back into my life, I knew. I knew I'd never stop loving you. And before I even had a chance to take a breath, I lost you once more, and all that pain that I pushed down for all those years, it just came rushing back, and I didn't know if I could go through it again."

By this time, Emma was crying. "I love you. I probably always will. But my secret…is that I was hoping that this was a trick. I was hoping you were dead because it would be easier for me to put you behind me than to face all the pain we went through all over again. My secret is…I love someone else and that I was afraid that if you really were alive…I'd never get to be with him because the walls I had up to keep you from hurting me again would keep him out too."

No one on the other side could hear this, so when the cage opened and Neal flung his arms around Emma in apology, Nicholas took this the wrong way and believed that Emma had made her choice. He looked down trying to mask his pain and made his way out of the cave first.

As everyone else came out, Neal looked to the group in gratitude. "Thank you." he said.

"Well, don't thank us yet. We still have to save Henry." David reminded.

"We found your star map, so the real question is, do you know how to get off this island?" Hook asked.

"If we can find Henry, I can get us home."

"Then let's get Tinkerbell and retrieve the boy." Hook said as he and everyone else headed back to the camp. As Nicholas followed them, he saw Emma and Neal talk through the branches and look away in sadness and pain before pressing on. Once they made camp again, Neal discussed his plan of getting everyone off the island.

"Pan's shadow?" Emma asked, "That's your way off the island?"

"Unfortunately, it's the only way." Neal replied.

"We thought you learned how to navigate the stars." said David.

"I know how to navigate the stars, but I can't fly." Neal replied.

"I'm guessing that's where the shadow comes in." Snow pointed out.

"That's why we have to capture it."

"Capture it?" Emma asked, "We've never been within ten feet of Pan unless he wanted us to be. Sneaking up on him to steal his shadow? That sounds insane."

"Except Pan's shadow is rarely with him. It's an entity unto itself. It can carry out his will from miles away." Hook explained.

"What does that mean for us?" Nicholas asked.

"It means we can get his shadow without having to be anywhere near Pan, as long as we know where to look. I know where to look." Neal informed.

"Okay. You and I are on shadow duty." said Emma.

"As am I." Hook decided, "This trek won't be easy. You could use another veteran of the island."

"Thanks, man." Neal nodded.

"Well, in the meantime, we'll give Tinkerbell a heads up, see if she can make good on her promise to get us into Pan's camp." David said.

"Okay, we meet back at Tink's. Then we get Henry and get the hell back to Storybrooke."

"Nicholas," Emma said as the alchemist stared into space, "You coming?"

"…I guess." he muttered as he got up and followed the blonde and two men. Back at Neal's cave, the former Lost Boy searched around for something clearly important.

"Something tells me we won't find Pan's shadow in here, mate." Hook said dryly.

"Yeah, well, we're looking for something else." Neal replied, "It's a coconut carved in two. One part holds a candle the other part goes on top of it."

"Yeah, your star map." Emma realized, "We hid it. I'll go grab it."

"I owe you thanks, for being so understanding." Hook said to Neal once Emma left.

"Understanding about what?" Neal asked.

"Emma and me."

"Emma and you?" Nicholas asked.

"Our dalliance." Hook replied only to see blank stares, "You don't know, do you? Well, this is awkward. The two of us shared a kiss. Apologies. I assumed she told you."

"Honestly, it probably slipped her mind." Neal guessed, "We're kind focused on getting our son back."

"Of course." Hook nodded.

"Oh, great." Nicholas thought in dread, "Now she's having a fling with the pirate too."

"Everything alright?" Emma asked once she came back and noticed the awkward tension.

"Couldn't be better." Neal muttered.

"Here it is, your star map."

"It's not a star map. It's what we're gonna use to trap Pan's shadow." Neal explained.

"A coconut?" Hook asked, "Are you daft?"

"You came to Neverland on a pirate ship through a portal but you draw the line at a magic coconut?" Neal asked.

"There's a sentence you don't hear every day." Nicholas dryly joked, "What's our next stop on this little excursion?"

"Dark Hollow."

"Really?" Emma asked, "Why couldn't it be called something like Sunshine Valley or Rainbow Cove? What exactly is it?"

"Just what it sounds like, the darkest spot in the entire island." Hook replied, "Any light that makes its way in is snuffed out by the shadows that call it home. Even I managed to avoid it."

"Well, time to break tradition. Dark Hollow it is." Emma said lacking enthusiasm, "That's where we're gonna find Pan's shadow, right?"

"Yeah. It's the only way we'll ever get back to Storybrooke."

After leaving the cave, Neal led the way to their destination. Once they arrived, the path was covered in a variety of plants, blocking them from the entrance.

"We'll have to cut through it." Neal said just before a stream of red lightning streaked against the ground and separated the path for them. Everyone looked at Nicholas's emotionless face as he walked down the path and entered the hollow.

"Swan," Hook mumbled, "Is everything alright with our dear immortal?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him like this since Cora." she replied.

"Are you guys coming, or not?" Nicholas asked from inside, "So this is where the victims of Pan's shadow reside?" he asked once they joined him.

"Yeah." Neal nodded, "Forced to spend eternity in this darkness. Let's be sure not to join them."

"So we just wait for Pan's shadow to show up?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. And when it does we'll be prepared."

"You mind telling us how that coconut works?" Nicholas asked.

"We light the candle and shadow is drawn to it. When it gets close enough, the flame will suck it in, we put the lid on, then it's trapped inside this bad boy."

"Sounds like a fine plan, except for one thing, our lanterns went out." Hook informed, "How the devil are we gonna ignite that bloody thing?"

"Welcome to the twenty-first century." Neal smirked as he pulled out a lighter, however, it proved difficult to light.

"How's it coming over there, guys?" Emma asked.

"Hang on." Neal said.

"Let me help." Hook offered.

"No. I got it."

"Well, I've only got one hand. I can do better than that."

"You know what? Now's not the time to try to impress Emma."

"Oh, you think that's what I'm doing?"

"Really?" Emma asked, "You're doing this now?"

"Please tell me you two aren't going to waste our time and argue?" Nicholas groaned.

"You heard them. Are we gonna stand here and argue, or are we gonna get that candle lit?" Hook asked impatiently as he struggled to lit the flint.

"Hard than it looks, huh, pal? Let me see it." Neal demanded as he tried to take the lighter from Hook, "Give it to me. Give it to me."

During their struggle, they managed to toss the lighter into a nearby tree trunk.

"Oi vey." Nicholas groaned as he ran his hand over his face.

"Guys, we don't have time for this." Emma said as the shadow arrived, "We really don't have time for this!"

"I take it that's Pan's shadow?" Nicholas asked as he readied his claws.

"Yeah, it's Pan's shadow!" Neal exclaimed in panic.

"What about the other two?!" Hook asked.

"He's controlling them!" Neal shouted as the shadows swarmed around them. One then pinned Hook against a tree while another did the same to Neal leaving Emma huddled against a fallen tree and Nicholas on the ground waving his claws and his own shadows at Pan's; the ones holding Neal and Hook were trying to rip out their shadows in the process.

"Emma, get out of here!" Neal shouted.

"Just go!" Hook cried in pain.

"Hold still, you jackass!" Nicholas shouted as his shadows kept missing their target. Seeing his enemy, Pan's shadow swooped down and passed his hand through Nicholas, causing his face to be harmed the same way the Fairy Dust did.

"Nicholas!" Emma cried as the alchemist struggled to heal himself. With no other option, Emma focused on the candle and with a wave of her hand, it was lit and absorbed Pan's shadow in the process.

"How did you do that?" Neal asked.

"Regina." Emma panted.

"She's teaching you magic?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess she is."

"Oh," Nicholas groaned as he finished healing, "Is it in there?"

"Yep." Emma nodded.

"Well, in that case, I've got just one thing to say. One in the box!"

"Ready to go." Emma chuckled as he realized where the alchemist was going.

"We be fast." he grinned.

"And he be slow!" they said laughing at the quote.

"I feel like I've missed something." Hook said bluntly.

"When we get back, I'm introducing you to movies, pal." Neal chuckled but stopped once he saw Emma's glare. As she stormed out while dragging Nicholas with her, Neal tried to catch up.

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm sorry. I know I screwed up." he admitted.

"Yes, you did. You both did." Emma snapped, "We almost lost our shot at trapping the shadow because you two were fighting over a lighter."

"It wasn't the lighter that we were fighting over, luv." Hook corrected.

"Okay, let me be very clear about something. If I had to choose someone, I choose Henry. He's the only love I have room for in my life." Emma said as she walked away in a huff.

"Get your priorities straight, fellas." Nicholas added, "We came here to get the boy, not a woman's attention." A few moments, they met up with the others at the base of Tink's treehouse. "We got it. Not much thanks to these two, though."

"Are you finally ready to do your part, Tink?" Hook asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am." she said as she led everyone inside her house. As Nicholas was about to follow them, he was stopped by the Savior.

"Nicholas, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Uh, yeah, sure." he replied, "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" she asked, "You've been acting weird since Echo Cave. What's wrong?"

"…It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Nicholas." she said in a warning tone, "I don't think I need to remind you about my super power. What's going on?"

"Fine." he sighed, "Ever since the cave…ever since you and Neal had your little moment, I've…I've accepted your decision and have just had a hard time with it."

"What decision?"

"How you still have feelings for Neal and how when this is all said and done you'll probably get back together with him."

"You think that's what happened?" Emma asked completely baffled, "You think I want to get back with Neal?"

"He is the father of your child and an old flame."

"Yeah, and he's also the guy who hurt me more than anyone else has in my entire life." Emma reminded, "Nicholas, I will always have a place for Neal in my heart, but I don't love him anymore; not like that."

"Oh. I get it now." Nicholas nodded causing Emma to smile in hope.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You and Hook will make a…lovely couple." Nicholas lied choking on his words.

"Ugh!" Emma groaned in frustration, "You are such an idiot!"

"Que?" Nicholas asked in surprise.

"I don't like either of those two! I have feelings for you, you moron!"

As soon as she shouted this, the only thing that could be heard throughout Neverland was the sound of the wind blowing through the trees. Emma's face was almost as red as he favorite jacket and Nicholas was almost as pale as the moon. Thankfully, no one in the treehouse heard them as they were too busy focusing on a plan of attack.

"Well?!" Emma hotly said, "Say something!"

"…You do?" he asked.

"Yes. I've had a crush on you since a little while before the curse broke and after everything we've been through…"

"Even though you thought I was gay we first met?" he asked still in shock.

"…Yes." she admitted in embarrassment, "Not exactly one of my best moments, but yeah, even then. So are you just gonna stand there with your mouth open, or are you gonna tell me what you-"

It was then that Nicholas went into pull Emma in for a deep passionate kiss.

"…Wow." Nicholas whispered after the parted.

"Wow." Emma nodded.

"Hey," Tink called from the treehouse, "You two coming up, or what?"

"Y-yeah, we're coming." Nicholas called back, "Probably best if we keep this between us for now, right?"

"Yeah." Emma nodded as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "But when we get back, we can see how this goes."

"I think I like the sound of that." Nicholas said before giving her another kiss.


	25. Think Lovely Thoughts

**Alright, after a long and tiresome week, I think we all just need a little fanfiction to unwind and relax while all those sore loser yahoos go and throw their little tantrums. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

The next morning, everyone readied themselves for the final battle against Pan and hopefully save Henry. With Nicholas leading, he took a moment to stop and sniff out two familiar scents ahead; Regina and Gold's.

"Well, if this is your version of a rescue party, we got here just in time." Regina remarked.

"Impeccable timing as always, sister dear." Nicholas said dryly. "What are you two doing here?" asked Snow.

"Well, same as you, except we actually have a chance." Regina said gesturing to the small cube in Gold's hands, "Pandora's Box. It could trap Pan for eternity simply by opening the lid."

"You didn't tell me my father was with her." Neal said to Emma.

"I didn't know." she replied.

"Wait, your father is the dark one?" Tink asked.

"Yeah, and he's not getting anywhere near Henry."

"Bae." Gold pleaded.

"Why? What are you talking about?" Nicholas asked.

"There's a prophecy that says that Henry will be his undoing. He didn't come here to protect him. He came here to kill him."

"That's why you didn't want to find Neal before you got Henry back." Regina realized, "Because you knew he'd spill your secret."

"Everything I did was to protect Henry, to rescue him from Pan." Gold defended.

"It all makes sense." Emma deduced, "You left before we even made shore."

"You wanted to get to Henry first." Snow continued as she readied her bow.

"To be on his own." David said as he and Hook drew their swords.

"So no one could stop you." Hook added.

"So you could kill him." Nicholas finished as he hardened his shield and drew his sword.

"It's not gonna happen." Emma denied, "Not unless you go through all of us first."

"You're making a mistake. I don't care if the boy is destined to be my undoing. I won't hurt him." Gold calmly informed.

"Because that sounds just like you." Regina said sarcastically.

"Without me, you will fail. I'm the most powerful amongst us."

"Magic wise." Nicholas muttered.

"That's why we can't trust you." Neal glared.

"If I could give you my dagger, I would. But I can't."

"But you can give me Pandora's Box. I don't have to trust you if I could stop you."

"Son." Gold pleaded, but the look on Neal's face proved he wasn't going to change his mind. So, in order to gain at least some trust with his son, Gold gave him the box.

"Hey, you so much as lift a finger to perform magic, you're gonna spend an eternity in this box." he warned.

"Let's go." said Emma. About an hour of walking later, Tink informed the group they arrived.

"We're here. Pan's perimeter." she confirmed.

"It's time. Tink will sneak us in the back like we planned. We grab Henry. In and out, simple." Emma explained before asking Neal, "You good with Pan patrol?"

"Locked and loaded." he nodded.

"You mind if I borrow this?" Gold as taking Hook's sword, "You said no magic, I agreed. But I'm not walking in there with nothing but my good looks."

"Here." Nicholas said giving Hook his own sword, "In case your good looks fail you."

"Thanks, mate."

"Let's get Henry." Emma said.

As everyone peered through the bushes and branches at the camp, they waited for the opportune moment to strike. "Can I at least use magic on these boys?" Gold asked.

"No." Neal answered.

"I'll do it." Regina offered.

"You remember the spell?" Rumple asked causing Regina to glare at him before rendering the teens unconscious.

"Where's Pan?" Nicholas asked.

"I don't know." Emma responded, "Henry!"

"He's gotta be somewhere." David said.

"Where?" Snow asked.

"Help!" a girl cried. Emma ran towards the voice and found a blonde girl in a nightgown held in a cage similar to Neal's, "You-you're an adult."

"My name's Emma. I'm looking for my son." Emma said as the others caught up.

"Wendy?" Neal asked.

"Of course, why not?" Nicholas asked bluntly.

"Do I know you?"

"It's Baelfire." he laughed.

"You two know each other?" Emma asked.

"Bae!" Wendy gasped.

"Yeah. Yeah, we do."

"Can it really be you?" she asked as he opened the cage and pulled her into a hug, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, I-I came back to save you."

"You did that for me?"

"Well, I couldn't bear for you to be without a family, not after you told us that your mother and father were both dead."

"You told her I was dead?" Gold asked.

"It was easier than telling the truth, my own father abandoned me."

"Okay," Nicholas carried impatiently, "Can we get back on track to finding my nephew?"

"Right." Neal nodded, "Wendy, since you've been here, have you seen my son? His name's Henry."

"You have a son?"

"Yeah. Pan needs his heart."

"Has he said anything about the Heart of the Truest Believer?" Emma asked.

"No. I'm sorry, he never mentioned anything about a heart."

"She's lying." Gold accused pointing his sword at the girl, "Where is he?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what the hell are you doing?" David asked getting between them.

"I've carried enough lies in my life to recognize their burden."

"For once, I agree with the imp." Nicholas admitted, "She knows where Henry is."

"Is that true?" Neal asked.

"You don't understand." Wendy admitted.

"You're helping Pan?" Snow asked.

"He's keeping John and Michael alive, only if I do as he says."

"Trust me, whatever he's promised, he will go back on his word." Gold informed.

"And why should I trust a man who abandoned his own son?" Wendy sneered.

"Because your brothers did." Regina replied, "They trusted a woman named Belle. They helped her get this box so we can defeat Pan."

"They're okay?" Wendy asked in hope.

"For now, and only if we succeed." Gold stressed.

"Wendy, we will save John and Michael, I swear to God." Neal promised, "But right now, I really need your help. Please."

"…Pan told Henry that he needs his heart to save magic." Wendy explained, "But it's a lie. He needs it to save himself."

"What do you mean?" Hook asked.

"Pan's dying. He needs the Heart of the Truest Believer to absorb all the magic in Neverland. And once he does…he will be immortal, all powerful."

"And what happens to Henry?" Snow asked.

"Equivalent Exchange." Nicholas said aloud, "Pan lives and Henry dies. Is that right?"

"Yes." Wendy nodded causing everyone to pause for a moment.

"How do we stop Pan?" David asked.

"Pan took Henry to Skull Rock. But you haven't got much time."

"Then we stay behind. Someone needs to be here to guard the Lost Boys when they wake up." he decided.

"You don't need to stay behind." Emma argued.

"David's right." Snow agreed, "You get him home, tell him we love him."

"Tell him yourself when you get back from Deadman's Peak." Emma corrected, "Gold can cure you back in Storybrooke. We just need to bring some of the water with us."

Hearing this, Snow rushed up and gave her daughter a tight hug. "You didn't give up." she whispered before looking to Gold, "Thank you."

"Well, apparently, that's the only thanks I need these days." he replied dryly.

"Tink and I will take care of things here." Hook added, "Meet you back at the Jolly Roger when you find Henry."

"Promise me if your father and I don't make it back, you get him home." Snow pleaded.

"We're all going back home." Emma corrected, "Together."

Soon the group went their separate ways, Emma, Gold, Nicholas, Regina and Neal sailed over to Skull Rock as fast as they could. When they arrived, Nicholas inspected the ground.

"They're here." he informed, "Those are footprints are Henry's."

"Wendy was right. They're here." Emma said as she tried to climb the nearest stairs but was thrown back by a barrier; thankfully, Nicholas caught her before she could hit the ground.

"I got you." he whispered, "Mind telling us what that was, Rumple?"

"Pan cast a protection spell." he answered simply.

"There has to be a way to break it." Regina said as she threw a fireball at it. Unfortunately, it bounced right back.

"Careful with that!" Neal shouted.

"Try all you want, but Pan's magic is too powerful. At least for you." lectured the dark one as he crossed over with ease.

"How did you do that?" Emma asked.

"The spell is designed to keep anyone who casts a shadow from entering." he explained.

"And you don't have one." Neal observed, "You were telling the truth about ripping your shadow off."

"And Pan knows it. That's why he cast the spell he did. This isn't about keeping you out. It's about drawing me in. He knows I won't give up the chance to finish what I came here to do."

"You really did come here to save Henry."

"I gave you my trust with that box. Now I need you to give it back."

As Neal was about to give it to his father, Regina snatched it from him and held it close to Rumple's face threateningly. "You better come through, Gold. Or Nicholas and I will make whatever Pan has planned for you look like child's play. You understand me?"

"Well, a simple 'good luck' would've sufficed." joked Rumple as he marched up the stairs.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Nicholas asked.

"What about the spell my father used to rip off his shadow?" Neal suggested.

"You think if I knew how to do that, I wouldn't have done it already?"

"The moon." Emma said out of the blue.

"The moon?" Regina asked.

"The moon is what causes our shadows, right? What if there was a way to block it out using magic?" she offered.

"If you were able to make an eclipse last long enough for us to cross over, it could work." Nicholas speculated.

"So?" Emma asked her teacher.

"I need help."

"With magic?" Emma asked in surprise.

"It requires a lot. I guess we're about to find out how much those lessons I gave you paid off. Follow my lead." Regina instructed as they raised their hands and looked to the moon.

"Just make it quick, okay?" Nicholas asked nervously before thinking, "Last thing I need is to speed up his plans."

As the moon became as dark as night, everyone rushed past the barrier line and ran up the stairs as fast as they could. One they reached the top of the skull, they saw Pan with Henry who was taking his own heart out.

"Henry, wait!" Neal shouted.

"Kiddo, whatever Pan's telling you to do, don't do it." Nicholas pleaded.

"Dad?" Henry asked, "You're alive?"

"I am, buddy. And I need you to listen to us. Pan is lying to you."

"Oh, pleasure to see you, too, Baelfire, not to mention the Savior, her boyfriend the Immortal Alchemist, and the Evil Queen." Pan greeted in distaste.

"Boyfriend?" Regina asked.

"Later." Nicholas waved off.

"Henry, you need to get away from him now." Emma warned, "He's trying to hurt you."

"No." Henry argued, "The Heart of the Truest Believer. It's what's gonna save magic. It's gonna save all of you."

"No, it's not." said Regina, "This was never about magic, Henry. You have to believe us."

"The only person Pan's interested in saving is himself." Nicholas added.

"That's not true!" Henry debated.

"Of course it isn't." Pan defended.

"Yes, it is!" Neal shot back, "Pan can't live without you dying. If you give him your heart, it's gonna kill you."

"They're trying to stem your belief, Henry. But don't let them." Pan lied, "Remember, every hero gets tested."

"Henry," Emma said seeing her son's confliction, "I know what being a hero looks like, and this isn't it."

"Why would they lie?" Henry asked Pan.

"Because that's what adults do, Henry. You know that better than anyone." Pan replied.

"Henry, you have to believe us." Regina pleaded.

"Your family doesn't care about Neverland, Henry. They know if you give your heart to save it, then you'll have to stay. They're being selfish because they don't wanna lose you."

"Henry, you have to trust us." Emma begged.

"Trust?" Pan scoffed hotly, "I'm the only one who's ever been honest with you, Henry. The only one who ever believed in you. This is your choice, not theirs. You have to choose now. We're running out of time."

"We believe in you, Henry." Neal said with honesty and love.

"Because we love you." Emma added.

"More than anything." Regina said sincerely.

"That's always been the truth." Nicholas nodded.

"I love you, too." Henry said with a sad smile, "But I have to save magic."

"Henry, don't." Nicholas pleaded.

"I'm sorry." he apologized as he slammed his heart into Pan's chest.

"NO!" they all cried as a shock wave of magic erupted from Pan and engulfed Neverland. Pan rose into the air triumphantly while Henry laid motionless on the ground. Everyone went over to him and looked up to see the smug teenager grinning at the maniacally.

 **OUaT**


	26. Save Henry

**Finally, I'm back! Sorry it took so long, college certainly takes up a lot of time. I hope all of you enjoy this, I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can; not sure whether I'll blend the last two together of keep them split. Let me know what you think and feel free to PM me over any questions you might have, I love hearing feedback from you guys.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

"I'm waiting!" Rumplestiltskin shouted from his cell. Moments earlier, his student had killed her father and enacted the dark curse. In a second later, the Evil Queen appeared in a puff of smoke. "What took you so long, dearie?"

"You know what took so long."

"Oh, yes. The curse. You did it."

"That's right." she said in triumph, "I did it. And I wanted you to know it. Before you, like all the pathetic denizens of this wretched land, forgets everything."

"How did it feel?" Rumple asked.

"Watching the curse cloud form? Felt like victory."

"No." he giggled, "How did it feel to kill the thing you love most? Ripping out the heart of your father and robbing your brother of yet another family member. How did that feel?"

"It was the price of the curse." Regina hissed, "How it felt doesn't matter. They would've understood. I took my life back. I had to. I won."

"And yet, here you are feeling the need to gloat." Rumple observed, "Something's missing, isn't it, dearie?"

"Not at all. I have everything I want. Nothing can stop me now."

"Not quite." Rumple giggled insanely.

"What does that mean?"

"The Savior. The child of Snow White and Prince Charming. She can stop you. She can break the curse and do the one thing you fear most; take your precious brother away from you."

"Well, it looks like getting rid of a baby just made my to-do list." Regina said as though there was no harm in it.

"Of course it did. But even if you succeed with that, you have an even bigger problem." Rumple informed, "Now there's a hole in your heart. And no amount of love your brother can give you can fill it. And someday, you will come to me to fill it."

"You overestimate your powers of foresight." Regina said with pity as she walked away.

"And you underestimate the price of what you've done!" Rumple yelled before singing, "You shall see, you will come to me; there is more you need, oh!"

"Your taunts will get you nowhere." Regina barked, "I know you too well. You wanna make another deal. Well, I won't."

"A deal?" he giggled, "You've already promised me a good life in this new land. What more can I want from you?"

"Oh, to be…let out of this cage? To be let out of our last deal? To escape the curse?" Regina offered.

"But why would I desire that, dearie?" Rumple asked, "I'm exactly where I want to be."

 **OUaT**

"Oh, God." Emma said in a panic, "Is he unconscious?"

"Henry, can you hear us?" Regina asked as Emma shook him.

"He passed out as soon as his heart went into Pan." Nicholas recalled.

"Is he breathing?" Regina asked.

"Just hang in there, buddy." Neal begged.

"What the hell did you do to him?" Emma asked Pan.

"Oh, I didn't do anything to him, Emma." Pan scoffed as he descended to the ground, "It was Henry. He offered me his heart of his own free will."

"Then we'll just have to take it back from you." Nicholas snarled as he readied his claws and shadows while Emma drew her sword. With a lunge, Emma tried to pirece him but watched as he vanished in a split second.

"I don't think you have it in you." he taunted from behind holding Pandora's Box, "Rumplestiltskin didn't. Why should you?"

"I'm not him. You'd be right to be afraid of me." Nicholas warned.

"Where is he?" Emma asked.

"What did you do?" Neal asked.

"Why, he's right in this box, safe and sound and out of the way. Unfortunately, for you, he can't hurt me anymore. And neither can you."

"Really?" Emma asked as she cut his arm, "How did that feel?"

"Like a tickle." Pan chuckled just before Nicholas ran up and tried to deconstruct his face like he did with his follower before. After the lights dimmed, Nicholas expected some mark left on Pan's face, but all they saw was his irritating smirk. "Nice try, alchemist. But it's gonna take a lot more than that to take away my good looks."

As he said this, the evil teen rose into the air and flew out of the cave. With nothing more they could do with Pan, Nicholas and Emma went back to Henry's side.

"You're gonna be alright, Henry." Regina reassured, though it was more for herself, "We're gonna get you home."

With a wave of her hands, Henry's body was covered in a veil of magic. "This preservation spell can keep him in this condition for a while longer. It'll buy us time to get to Pan."

"You were a Lost Boy. Any idea where he went?" Emma asked Neal.

"Well, I-I mean, I know where he lived, his compound." he stuttered.

"Well, that's idiotic." Nicholas said harshly, "We already know that. You honestly think he's stupid enough to go back?"

"You're useless." Regina muttered.

"Okay, enough." Emma quipped.

"Don't tell us what's enough." Regina snapped, "My son is dying!"

"Our son." Emma reminded, "So yes, I know how you feel."

"You have no idea what I feel. You have your parents. A pirate and former Lost Boy pinning over you. You have everything, and yet you claim to know what I feel?" Regina asked as her voice shook, "All I have is Henry and Nicholas, who you seem to be ensnaring too, and I am not about to lose them, because they are everything."

"Emma, without Henry…Regina and I have no one." Nicholas added, "He's the only thing that's kept us from going down the wrong path permanently."

"…You're right." whispered Emma, "I don't know what you feel. So what do you wanna do? You wanna run the show? Run it. How do we save Henry?"

"I don't know." Regina whispered.

"Even if we can find Pan, he was powerful before. With Henry's heart, I-I don't know if we can hurt him." Neal said hopelessly.

"One thing I've learned in my experience, is that even immortals feel pain. And if we can do that, then we have a shot at winning." Nicholas replied.

"And we can." Regina agreed while staring at Emma sword, "Look, you nicked him. If he can bleed, we can hurt him. And if we can hurt him, we can kill him."

"And we will." Nicholas growled. Once they returned to camp, Emma explained everything that happened to the others while Regina stayed close to Henry.

"Gold is in a box." Snow repeated, "Then David can never leave the island."

"Mary Margaret, that doesn't matter. I've already made peace with that." David waved off, "What matters is Henry. How much time do we have?"

"Maybe an hour before the preservation spell wears off." Regina replied.

"If he's airborne, he could be anywhere on the island." Neal sighed while Nicholas tried to use his shadows' eyes throughout the island.

"It's no use. I can't see him anywhere. Not even smell him." he informed.

"An hour isn't much time. I suggest we get started looking." Hook advised as they all approached the captured Lost Boys.

"Where is he?!" Regina yelled as she grabbed Pan's number two, Felix by the collar.

"Gone." he said smugly, "There's nothing you can do. He's already won. Pan never fails."

"You won't talk?" Regina asked in rage, "How about I make you talk?"

"Regina, wait." Emma halted as the mayor was about to rip the boy's heart out.

"There's no time!" she spat.

"I don't think torture is our best move here. Look at these kids. They've been to hell and back. We need to try something else."

"Yeah, we tried the cute and cuddly. They don't respond to reason. What else do you have to offer?"

"What every kid wants." Emma said looking at her mother with a kind smile, "A mother."

 **OUaT**

Eleven years ago in Storybrooke, Nicholas was sitting at his desk with his glasses hanging loosely on his nose as he scribbled down more of his scientific notes as he sister came through the front door. Looking up, he saw a happy and excited look on her face, one he hadn't seen in years.

"You seem awfully happy." he pointed out while taking a bite from one of his freshly grown plums, "What's up?"

"I have exciting news, brother dear." she smiled, "I just got back from Gold's and he's going to look into my request."

"Uh, what request?" he asked.

"Oh, right. I haven't told you yet, sorry." Regina said trying to get her head together, "I'm going to adopt a baby."

As soon as his sister said this, Nicholas sucked in his plum and began to choke on it before hacking it up and watched it soar into the trash can across the hall.

"Nice shot." she muttered.

"A-a baby?" Nicholas asked in shock, "Wh-wha-when did you decide this?"

"The other day with Dr. Hopper while you were out fiddling with one of your experiments." she replied, "We talked, and one thing led to another and I realized that I needed to have someone to share my life with; besides you, of course."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nicholas asked skeptically.

"What do you mean?"

"Regina, don't get me wrong, I would be thrilled to be an uncle and I am beyond happy for you that you've decided this. But think about the situation the child would face." Nicholas gently explained.

"What situation?" Regina asked with her tone rising.

"The situation of literally being the only resident in town that ages, for one thing." he reminded, "Another would be never being able to form bonds with other children for more than just a year. How are you going to explain all that to your child once they start putting the pieces together and start asking questions?"

"I'll tell them the truth." Regina replied, "Once their old enough, I'll tell them everything they need to know and we can all live happily here in Storybrooke with everyone under our control."

"Happily, huh?" Nicholas asked crossing his arms, "Funny, I thought that was an immediate guarantee as soon as the curse was cast. Is this part of the process, or are you improvising, what?"

"Are you going to question everything I do or are you going to support me?" she asked.

"I only question what lacks all the answers." Nicholas sighed while leaning back in his chair, "Alright. Alright. I suppose that can be handled later on. So has Gold given you any information on your child-to-be?"

"Not yet. He said he'll call as soon as he can get me the earliest spot on the waiting list." Regina said smiling again.

"Boy or girl?" Nicholas asked grinning at his sister's excitement.

"No idea. I told him I'd take either one."

"Any name ideas?"

"Well, if it's a girl, then I was thinking we'd name her after mother and name a boy after father."

"Hmm, I think they'd like that, Regina." Nicholas nodded. Later that afternoon, Gold called and asked for the two siblings to stop by his shop.

"You have news?" Regina asked as they walked in.

"Yes. Fate may be on your side. This morning, I, uh, spoke with an agency who had placed a baby boy from Phoenix with a family nearby in Boston."

"With a family?" Regina asked, "How is that fate?"

"Because at the last minute, the adoption fell through. It happens."

"So the baby still needs a home."

"Indeed. As I said, fate appears to be on your side." Gold nodded as he grabbed an envelope, "The agency is in Boston."

The next day, both siblings took a drive to the agency and eagerly waited for the interview to be over so they could meet their newest addition to the family.

"Well, Ms. Mills, your application is almost too good to be true." the interviewer said happily, "I mean, your references are impeccable. And this town you live in, Storybrooke, you're the mayor?"

"Third term." she nodded, "All unopposed."

"Never heard of Storybrooke."

"Oh, it's a…hidden gem. Peaceful, perfect for children."

"Like a fairytale." Nicholas added with a smirk, "You should come visit sometime."

"I get two weeks off a year. And all due respect, Sandals has an inclusive buffet. You got that in Storybrooke?"

"Can't say that we do." Nicholas chuckled.

"One question I meant to ask, Mr. Mills. Your sister has put you down as the child's godfather, we would like to know what it is you do."

"Oh, I'm what you could consider the…Doc Brown of Storybrooke. I like to spend my time working on experiments when I'm not helping around the town. I have a lot of secure investments and savings so money wouldn't an issue for me or the boy."

That wasn't entirely true. Nicholas did indeed have a lot of money in his bank account, much more than Regina's, but that was due to him secretly turning scrap metal he didn't use in his experiments into gold with his alchemy. To sum it up, he had more money than anyone in town; including Mr. Gold.

"Alrighty then. Now, I've explained both your rights and responsibilities, but there's one item I'd like to go over in detail. This is a closed adoption, which means you'll never be able to contact your child's birth parents. It's a complete information blackout-parents' names, ethnicity, genealogical records. Neither of you will have access to any of it."

"My brother and I are concerned with my child's future, not his past." Regina replied politely.

"Well, then congratulations. You ready to meet your son and nephew?"

"Yes!" they chuckled. With a beep of an intercom, they watched as a woman brought in a beautiful baby boy swaddled in blankets and passed him to Regina. They were both so happy as they looked at the baby, happier than they had been in decades.

"Well, hello there." Regina greeted happily, "It was fate, wasn't it, Henry?"

"Henry, huh? You don't meet a lot of Henrys nowadays. Very old world."

"It was our father's name." Nicholas replied not taking his eyes off his nephew, "He passed some time ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope it was peaceful, at least." he said as Henry began crying, "Need some help?"

"Oh, no, no." Regina said readjusting Henry, "We've got it. Come on, Henry."

"Let's go home." Nicholas smiled as he stroked the baby's cheek.

 **OUaT**

At the camp, Emma did her best to try and convince the teens to reveal Pan's location. "Guys, listen to me. We are not gonna hurt you. I know you're loyal to Pan, and I get that. But you are making a terrible mistake. For a long time, I thought I was never gonna find my family. I was an orphan, like all of you. A lost girl. And I was reminded today that I am not alone, that I have a lot of people that love me. And I never thought that was gonna happen. If that can happen to me, it can happen to you."

"Pan is the only family we need." Felix argued.

"No. Family doesn't do what he did. Pan lied to you and made you do terrible things. He lied to Henry, and convinced him to give up his own heart."

"To save the island." the youngest Lost Boy retorted.

"No, to save himself."

"Don't listen to her." Felix ordered, "Pan cares about all of us."

"If that were true wouldn't he already be here to rescue you kids from the danger he's convinced you about?" Nicholas asked.

"He doesn't. We care about you. And we can save you!" Emma promised, "We can take you home with us to our land. There's no reason to fear Pan anymore. Until he absorbs the power from Henry's heart, he can be stopped. You just have to tell us where he is."

"Leave now while Pan still allows you to breathe." Felix warned, "That's the only help you'll get."

"I'm starting to wonder if he's supposed to be that buck-tooth kid in the fox suit from the movie." Nicholas muttered to David who shrugged.

"Where is Pan?" Emma asked softly.

"Not telling." Felix replied mocking her tone.

"Can you really bring us home?" the youngest asked.

"Shut your mouth!" Felix snapped.

"Yes." Emma said kneeling in front of him, "With your help."

"His thinking tree." he confessed.

"NO!" Felix cried in protest.

"Yes, his thinking tree." another boy said.

"Stop it all of you!" Felix thrashed.

"What is that?" Emma asked.

"It's where he goes when he wants to be alone. You can find him there, it's not far."

"No, don't trust her."

"Can you tell us where that is?" she asked.

"Yeah, but you have to swear, swear that you'll take us with you.

"I promise." Emma said with sincerity, "We are going home. All of us."

 **OUaT**

In Storybrooke, Regina was struggling with being a parent. This was proven as she tried to get Henry to quiet down at Granny's while Nicholas was in the restroom.

"Who is this bundle of joy?" Granny sweetly asked.

"Do you have a problem with him crying?" Regina snapped bitterly.

"No, of course not." Granny replied as she went back to work.

"Okay, it's time to be quiet. It's time to be quiet." Regina said and noticed Granny looming over her again, "What?!"

"You want some advice?" she asked calmly, "Try a story. That's how they soothe themselves. A bedtime story. Gets 'em used to your voice. Worked with Ruby. Her issues came later."

"Hey. Okay. It's okay. Once upon a time, there was-oh!" Regina soothed as she picked her son up and held him against her chest, only to feel him spit up on her blouse. Ironically, this happened as soon as Nicholas came back.

"I take it little Henry's still being fussy?" he asked with a sympathetic smile which quickly went away once he saw his sister's glare, "Here. Give him to me and you go clean yourself up."

"Alright." she sighed as she passed her crying baby to her brother.

"Come here, goober." Nicholas said as he readjusted the baby against his shoulder. Thankfully, he was smarter than his sister and remembered to put a spit up cloth over his chest and shoulder so he didn't repeat what Regina did.

"What's the matter?" he cooed as he gently rocked the wailing baby, "Huh? What's the matter, Henry? Are you being all fussy for mommy and unky today?"

"Looks like you're doing better than your sister." Granny observed as she cleared the nearest table.

"Ah, she'll get there." Nicholas reassured, "Regina just rushed into things when she wanted to adopt."

"How so?"

"Not a single book." Nicholas said shaking his head while Henry began to slightly settle down.

"Really?" Granny asked.

"Not one." he laughed, "I don't know if she thought it was going to be easy, or that she didn't need them, but yeah. She dived into this unprepared. But I'm not worried. She's always been a fast learner and she just needs to get into the swing of things. Isn't that right, Henry?"

By now, the baby was silent and giving a big, cute yawn as his uncle held him and kissed his forehead. Just then, Regina came back and eagerly took back her son thinking everything was going to be alright; but sure enough, Henry immediately started crying again.

"I don't understand." Regina said growing frantic.

"Regina, relax. You just upset him, is all." Nicholas sighed.

"I'm his mother." she snapped, "All I do is love him. How would that upset him?"

"Gee, maybe because he was getting settled and tired and you interrupted that when you pulled him from me." Nicholas dryly suggested even though his sister was ignoring him.

"Oh, he must be sick. I'm taking him to Dr. Whale." she said while putting Henry in his carrier and grabbing her purse while shoving the baby bag in Nicholas's arms.

"Yeah, because that's the only explanation." Nicholas said dryly as he followed his sister, "Don't listen to your brother who knows more about the human body and infants than you do, Regina. You just know everything based on your maternal instincts."

At the hospital, Whale and Regina hovered over Henry as he continued to cry while Whale listened to his heart and Nicholas gave them space.

"Well, his heart's as strong as a locomotive." Whale explained over the crying, "And his lungs are healthy, clearly."

"Well, what about a blood test? Or a chest x-ray?" Regina asked.

"Is he a smoker like his uncle?" Whale joked.

"What?!" Regina asked not seeing the humor.

"Regina, will you relax?!" Nicholas said in exasperation, "He's probably just scared that he's in a place he doesn't know and surrounded by people hovering over him every second. He's just a baby."

"I agree with Nicholas, Madam Mayor." Whale admitted, "Crying is just how a baby communicates. And from the sound of things, he has a lot to say."

"I paid for this?" Regina scoffed.

"Actually, your insurance did." Whale corrected.

"What do I do?" Regina asked in frustration.

"Listen to your little brother!" Nicholas stressed over Henry's wailing.

"I can prescribe you something. 10 CCs of maternal love." Whale quipped. Regina, however, didn't like this as an answer and pushed for more while Nicholas went to comfort his nephew.

"Dr. Whale, no one loves their child more than me. Which means there's something wrong with my son. Your job is to help him. Do it!"

"Sure, I could order additional testing, but with babies, there are risks. And it's generally nothing and not worth it."

"Generally?" Regina asked.

"Well, in some cases, there could be something abnormal happening. But we'd need the birth mother to find out."

"You mean the woman who abandoned him?" Regina asked hotly, "You think she can soothe him? I'm his mother."

"You misunderstand me, Regina. If something were in fact wrong with the baby, maybe there's something in her medical records, something genetic that could be causing a problem. But the only people who can fill in those blanks are the biological parents."

"Even though, that outcome is rarely above a 5% chance and that Henry is as healthy as a prized stallion." Nicholas bluntly reminded as he gently rubbed the crying baby's stomach, "Besides, if there ever were a need for that, we couldn't receive that information. It was a closed adoption."

Once they were finished, Regina called Sydney and told him to try and get information regarding Henry's birth parents as they walked through the children's ward of the hospital. She then handed Henry to Nicholas so she could talk to the reporter.

"Oi vey, Henry." Nicholas sighed as he bounced the boy, "That's something you're gonna hear me say a lot in the future."

"Excuse me," Mary Margaret said before noticing she was trying to pass her friend, "Hey, Nicholas. What are you doing here? And who's this little cutie?"

"This is Henry." Nicholas introduced as the baby began to settle down, "My nephew. Regina and I adopted him yesterday and…well, she's having a hard time trying to get things situated. You wanna hold him?"

"Oh, yes, definitely." she said happily as she took the baby and gently rocked him. Unfortunately for Nicholas, all he could see was an image of Snow White doing the very same with her daughter, even though it never happened.

"I can't believe I did nothing to stop this curse." he thought guiltily, "If Boss were around to see me, he'd shoot me in the head. Though, I probably deserve worse."

"How did you do that?" Regina asked snapping the duo to her attention.

"Do what?" Mary Margaret asked nervously.

"Get him to stop crying."

"Oh, I -I'm just holding him. He's so sweet." she said smiling as Regina took him back.

"Oh, not again." Nicholas muttered as Henry began crying once more.

"No." Regina denied, "Oh, no, no."

"I'm so sorry. Did I do something?" Mary Margaret asked.

"No. No, you didn't. It's me." Regina said as her heart broke.

"Here, let me." Nicholas said hovering over his wailing nephew, "Quiet!" he shouted startling the two women. Surprisingly, Henry immediately stopped crying and instead gave a cute coo. They looked at him in surprise only to see him shrug.

"It's all in the delivery." he said, "If you need me, I'm gonna go out and smoke."

 **OUaT**

"The pixie woods?" Nicholas asked, "That's where it is?"

"It's just North of here." the Lost Boy explained, "It's where the Pixie Dust used to grow."

"Do you know where that is?" Emma asked Neal and Hook.

"Aye." Hook nodded, "The whole region is deserted now. No one but Pan has set foot in those woods in centuries."

"Then let's make history." Neal suggested.

"We'll need you to stay here." Emma denied, "Once we get Henry's heart, it's gonna be a race back. We need help on both ends."

"Okay." he nodded.

"What do you need from us?" David asked.

"Let's gather up the Lost Boys. Get 'em on board the Jolly Roger. Prepare the ship to fly." Neal advised.

"Well, unless you have a Pegasus sail, we're at the mercy of the trade winds." Hook remarked.

"Pan's shadow's in here. It'll get us home. As long as your ship holds together." he said slinging the coconut over his shoulder.

"Well, as long as your plan holds together, she will." Hook retorted.

"Henry is going to be with me the entire time. Nothing is gonna happen to him while you two are away." Neal reassured Emma.

"You mean three." Snow corrected.

"No, make that four." Nicholas said rising from his seat.

"What?" Emma asked.

"I may be trapped on this island for the rest of eternity. So if you think I'm not going to be spending my last moments with my daughter, you're crazy." Snow informed.

"And I, for one, have every intention of making that runt pay for putting my nephew's life in jeopardy." Nicholas added.

"Okay." nodded Emma, "Let's do it."

Once the party made their way to their destination, Regina spotted Pandora's Box perched on a log in the open. "Look." she alerted as Snow was about to take it.

"Careful, Snow." Nicholas warned, "Pan wouldn't have just left it behind for no reason."

"It's David's only way home. Without Gold, we're stuck here." Snow argued as a large vine grabbed her and pinned her to a tree. Not a second later, three more did the same to the others; except for Nicholas, he was held against a different tree.

"Are you still at it?" Pan asked making himself known, "Don't you know? Peter Pan never fails."

"Referring to one's self in the third person isn't a quality to be proud of." Nicholas thought dryly.

"I didn't expect you to find me. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. You three are mothers." Pan said facing the women, "Quite tenacious about you offspring. Believe it or not, I understand that. But if you're here looking to see Henry again, I have to tell you, there's only one place you'll be reunited: in death."

As soon as he made his threat, everyone struggled to escape their bonds only to no avail. "Having trouble?" he asked mockingly, "Not surprised given where you are. You see, what's hastening your demise is your regret."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"This tree is the site of a very important event for me. I abandoned my boy here."

"You have a son?" Regina asked.

"I'm older than I look." he smirked.

"If you have a child, you must regret losing him, too." said Emma.

"No, he doesn't." Nicholas replied, "This little runt doesn't have the stomach to face the hardships of being a parent. He's too weak."

"I think we've heard enough from you, alchemist." Pan growled as he caused the tree holding him to shake. From above, a cloud of green Pixie Dust slowly floated down towards Nicholas.

"Oh, cripes, this gonna hurt." he said with dread as the dust covered him, and just like with Fairy Dust, Nicholas's body began to deconstruct while he struggled to hold back his agonizing screams.

"Now as I was saying," Pan resumed, "I don't regret it. Quite the opposite, actually. See, I have him all boxed up so I don't lose him again."

"Rumplestiltskin is your son?" Regina asked.

"How is that possible?" Snow asked, "You're-"

"Younger than him?" Pan cut off, "Not really. Just like you and your daughter."

"You're a fraud." Regina insulted, "Your magic is weakened. You can't even hurt us, let alone Rumplestiltskin."

"You're right." Pan nodded, "Well, I think Flamel would beg to differ, but he's a little preoccupied to agree at the moment. But that's why I'm here. This tree will protect me until my power is restored. And then, well, then I get to have some real fun. And I won't ever have to worry about my child again. Something else we will all soon have in common."

"There has to be another way." Emma said as they all struggled.

"No, you're not going to get to me." Pan denied, "See, this tree attacks the regret inside of anyone who comes here. And you? You've got plenty."

"I regret not taking a better shot at you when I had a chance." Emma replied.

"Well, that's not all, is it, Savior? No. I have your son's heart inside me. I can feel just how much you let him down time and time again."

"Leave her alone." Snow warned.

"Perhaps I should. After all, what chance did she have at being a good mother?" Pan asked facing Snow, "Look at the example you've set, abandoning her for twenty-eight years."

"Are you finished?" Regina asked calmly.

"Last words from the queen. Perhaps a deathbed confession from the one who has the most regret of all."

"Yeah, there's one problem with that. I did cast a curse that devastated an entire population. I have tortured and murdered. I've done some terrible things. Hell, I am probably responsible for my brother becoming a slave. I should be overflowing with regret, but…I'm not. Because it got me my son." Regina informed finally breaking free of her bonds, and tearing out Henry's heart. With a wave of her hand, she cleared the dust off of her brother and picked up Pandora's Box.

"It's about time you did that." Nicholas groaned as he regenerated in pain, "What were you doing, enjoying his monologue while I was in excruciating pain?"

"Oh, relax." Regina waved off smirking, "Let's go save Henry."

Regina then transported them all to the Jolly Roger with everyone else already aboard. Heading over to the bow, Regina gently pushed her son's heart back in while everyone looked at his body in concern.

"Henry?" Regina asked.

"Are we too late?" Emma asked. After a moment of silence, Nicholas gave it a try.

"Wake up!" he shouted startling everyone and causing Henry to jolt awake. Everyone looked at him in surprise. "It's all in the delivery." he said like it was normal. Henry then flung his arms around his mothers while gasping for breath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Neal laughed, "Take it easy, buddy."

"I'm sorry." he apologized, "I-I wanted to save magic."

"It's okay." Emma sighed, "It's okay."

"I- I wanted to be a hero."

"There's plenty of time for that." David chuckled.

"And now it's time to rest." Snow nodded.

"Welcome back, young sir." Hook said kindly, "Only the best for our guest of honor, don't you think? Captain's Quarters."

"Come on." Regina said, "I'll tuck you in."

 **OUaT**

In Storybrooke, Regina quietly tucked her baby into his crib and smiled fondly at his sleeping form. It was the night of the day she tried to send him back out of fear upon learning who his birth mother was. And that woman was the very same infant she tried to kill before the curse took everyone away; Snow White and Prince Charming's daughter, the Savior.

However, just as she was about to give her baby back in the office in Boston, she had a change of heart and took him back home with her; but, she did all of this without consulting her brother. As she went back downstairs, she felt the floor shift unnaturally as red lightning surged around her feet and dragged her into the den and flung her into a chair while the fireplace came to life with the sound of fingers snapping filled the air.

In her fear, Regina turned to see her brother, angrier than she had seen him in years, standing in the doorway glaring at her with a cigar in his hand. She knew she was in big trouble considering that Nicholas only smoked cigars when he was extremely angry.

"Comfy?" he asked softly, "I hope so. Because we are going to have a long talk tonight, sister dear."

"You-you still have your alchemy?" Regina asked in fear.

"Oh, did I not tell you that before?" he asked, "Well, I guess that makes us even since you neglected to tell me that you were going to give my nephew back to the agency today out of paranoia."

"Nicholas, please, you don't understand." Regina said, "Henry's birth mother-"

"Is Snow and Charming's daughter?" Nicholas asked in a frightful tone, "Oh, I know. I've known since this morning when I called Sydney when I couldn't find you and Henry."

"Okay, I should have told you. I was wrong not to." she admitted, "But I changed my mind. I'm keeping Henry."

"I don't think you understand why I'm angry, sister dear." Nicholas said puffing smoke from his cigar, "I am angry because you decided to take Henry away from the life we had planned for him because you got scared. That's not being a good parent, you know. I want to make something perfectly clear, Regina. If you ever do anything like that again, I'll show you exactly what my alchemy can do to you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes. And I am sorry that I didn't tell you, Nicholas. I let my fear get the better of me. But all of that will change."

"Will it?" he asked.

"Yes. After Henry wakes up tomorrow, the three of us are going to take a trip to my vault."

"Why?" he asked skeptically.

"Because you're right, I can't let my fears control me now that I am a mother. And I have just the thing to ensure I never make the same mistake again in my fault." Regina explained.

"Alright." Nicholas sighed, "But I will hold you to this. Make sure you don't forget that."

"I won't."

The next day, the family of three went to Regina's vault after paying their respects to Henry's namesake. After Nicholas pushed the coffin aside, they went downstairs where Regina began to brew a potion. Nicholas was bouncing Henry as Regina did her work and told him a story.

"Once upon a time, there was a queen and her brother, and she cast a glorious curse, that gave her everything she wanted, or so she thought. She despaired when she learned that her brother was right, revenge was not enough. She felt lonely, even with her brother at her side, keeping her from drowning in her sorrow. And so, she searched the land for a little boy to be their prince. And then she found him. And though they lived happily, it was not ever after. There was still an evil out there lurking. The queen was worried for her brother and prince's safety. While she knew she could vanquish any threat to them, she also knew she couldn't raise her prince worrying. No. She had to listen to her brother before it was too late. She needed to put her own troubles aside, and put her family first. And so, the queen procured an ancient potion of forgetting."

As she said this, Henry began to cry.

"Oh, it's alright." Nicholas soothed.

"If the queen drinks the potion, she won't forget her child. She'll only forget her worries, her troubles; her fears. And with those gone, she, her brother, and their prince can indeed finally live happily ever after." she said holding the goblet in her hand, "You sure you don't want to do this?" she asked Nicholas.

"Pass." he said, "Unlike you, I need to remember my troubles. It's important that I do."

"Fine. Cheers." she nodded before downing the potion. In a whoosh of magic, Regina shed a few tears and took a deep breath as all of her worries faded away. Hearing her son cry and fuss once again, Regina turned and gently grabbed the baby and held him close with love.

"Hello, Henry." she cooed, "What shall we do today?"

 **OUaT**

On Hook's bed, Regina smiled fondly as she stroked Henry's hair and while Nicholas stood over them smirking. "Oh, we know that look." Regina chuckled, "That's five hours of Space Paranoids and too much pizza."

"Pizza's good." Henry nodded. Regina chuckled as she covered Henry's chest in magic. "It stings. What's that for?"

"A spell, so no one can ever take your heart ever again."

"Thanks, mom." Henry said as Regina kissed his forehead.

"We'll be home soon, my little prince."

"Sleep tight, kiddo." Nicholas said ruffling the boy's hair. As the two siblings went up to the deck, they saw Neal release his father from the box.

"Bae?" Rumple asked.

"Papa." Neal said hugging his father.

"Where's Henry?"

"He's safe. He's safe."

"I told you I wasn't gonna hurt the boy."

"I know. I'm sorry. I…why didn't you tell me Pan was your father?" he asked.

"Because I didn't want you to know that I was as bad a father as he was." Gold admitted, "Because we're both the same, me and him, because we both abandoned our sons."

"No, you're not the same. You came back for me, papa." Neal corrected as he hugged his father again.

"He's back." Emma said to her parents.

"That means."

"He can cure me." David said happily.

"We can go home." Snow nodded as they all hugged. Suddenly, Gold and Nicholas stiffened, sensing the presence of someone who shouldn't be there.

"He's here." Nicholas alerted as Gold disappeared below deck. As soon as he and Regina got down, they saw Gold seal Pan away while Henry panted on his bed.

"It's okay. I'm okay." Henry reassured.

"Are you sure?" Regina asked.

"He's a strong boy, Regina." Rumple assured, "The two of you raised him well."

"Thank you." Nicholas said nodding to Gold for saving the boy.

Back on deck, everyone was in positon for the next phase in getting out of Neverland. Neal held the coconut in front of a mortar aimed at the main sail while everyone else was ready to fend off the shadow in case it got away.

"Ready, Regina?" Emma asked. Seeing her nod, Emma lit the fuse and Neal released the shadow precisely as the mortar fired. Regina then used her magic to bind the creature to the sail turning it black.

"Think it'll fly?" Emma asked.

"It has no choice." Nicholas replied.

"Then let's get the hell out of Neverland."

Not a moment later, the ship creaked and rose from the water and sailed high into the clouds.

"You know, when we first landed on this island, you said we'd all need to work together." David said to his daughter.

"I was just trying anything." she waved off.

"Well, to be honest, I didn't think it was possible. That a hero, a villain, a pirate, an alchemist…that we could all be united, but we were because of the most important piece of the puzzle: a leader."

"I'm just glad that we were all able to work together and get Henry back home. Get all of us home." Emma replied. She then spotted Nicholas gazing into the night sky while smoking his pipe, lost in his thoughts.

"I better report this soon." he thought, "Boss'll kill me if I leave him and the others out of the loop."

"I thought I might find you like this." Emma teased as she joined the alchemist.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't help but take in this view, you know?"

"I guess." she said resting her head on his shoulder.

"Okay, after everything that's gone down, let's agree to disagree." Neal said to Hook.

"Fine. Fair game for the both of us then once we get back to Storybrooke." the pirate nodded, "But it won't be that surprising when I win Emma's heart."

"In your dreams, man." Neal waved off. It was then that the duo spotted Emma and Nicholas having their moment. Needless to say, they had pretty shocked expressions when they put the pieces together.

"Sorry, lads." Tink chuckled, "But it looks like she's not looking at either of ya."

"She chose Flamel?!" they screamed in their minds.

"Hey, I'll be back." Nicholas said tucking his pipe away, "I got to hit the head."

"Okay." she nodded, "Don't take too long."

As he walked away, Regina decided to approach the Savior while looking out at the sky. "So what exactly are your intentions for my little brother?" she asked.

"Regina," Emma sighed.

"It's only fair that I ask." she defended, "Someone's got to look out for him."

"Okay. But nothing's really happened between us. Yet." Emma admitted trying not to be embarrassed.

"Fine. But I want to make something very clear." she warned, "If you hurt Nicholas in any way-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You'll make my life miserable and use all of you power to do so." Emma cut off.

"He'll be devastated." Regina corrected, "He's already had his heart broken once and he's been through enough for one life."

"You don't have to worry." Emma reassured taking in the mayor's words, "The last thing I want to do is hurt him. He means a lot to me, too."

"Good." Regina nodded, "Then we have nothing to worry about. Have fun hooking up with your great-step-uncle."

"Wait," Emma stuttered as Regina walked away, "What?"

"Well," she chuckled, "Technically, seeing as I'm Mary Margaret's step-mother, Nicholas is her step-uncle and therefor your great-step-uncle. You didn't think I was going to accept this without planting at least some sort of seed in your head, did you?"

"Oh, that's low." Emma remarked while Regina laughed. Below deck, instead of being in the restroom like Nicholas said he would, he was hiding in the store room. He then pulled out a small seashell and held it against his head like a phone.

"This is Flamel reporting in, does anyone copy?" he asked.

"This is Africa, I copy."

"Hey, boss." Nicholas greeted feeling ashamed.

"Nicholas," Africa replied feeling uncomfortable, "Before you give me some sort of speech as to why you're sorry about the incident with Cora, I want you to know, none of us blame you or hold anything against you. We're the ones wanting to apologize. She was your mother, and you were betrayed. None of hold anything against you. Water under the bridge?"

"Yeah," Nicholas nodded feeling a great sense of relief, "Sure thing, boss."

"Excellent. Now stop your weeping and tell me what the hell is going on." Africa snapped.

"What the hell are you getting onto me like Skinner for, Quartermain?" Nicholas asked, "Geez, you're still a complete grouch even after all these years. Anyway, we're just now getting out of Neverland. Pan's plan has failed and we're returning to Storybrooke with Henry on the airborne Jolly Roger."

"And Gold?" Quartermain asked.

"Alive." Nicholas admitted, "But he seems to be more inclined to do some good for us considering we're all part of the same family now."

"Good to know. Anything else we need to know?"

"Yeah, we've got about two years left, give or take." Nicholas said mysteriously.

"I see. Very well." Quartermain sighed, "Get back here as soon as you can and meet up with us at headquarters. I want a full briefing on what happened and where we stand now concerning threats to the town."

"Yes, sir, boss." Nicholas nodded, "May the light and darkness forever be our guides."

"May the light and darkness forever be our guides." Quartermain repeated as Nicholas returned his shell to his pocket and returned above deck.


	27. The New Neverland

**Here you go, hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

As the ship sailed through the air, everyone looked over the starboard side and saw the little sight of Storybrooke grow as they came closer and closer. Pretty soon, the ship landed just before the town port. Naturally, everyone in town saw the flying ship and a large crowd formed at port to welcome everyone back. Sure enough, they did just that as the heroes exited the pirate vessel; Grumpy proved to be the loudest.

"How's it feel to finally be home?" Emma asked Henry.

"Better than I ever imagined." Henry replied.

"I have to admit, I didn't believe we were all gonna make it out of that place." Emma said to the group around her and her loved ones.

"Well, we did." David said while holding Snow who spotted the siblings being left out of the praise.

"And we owe a lot of it to them." Snow said loudly, "Regina and Nicholas helped save us all."

"So what about that shadow?" David asked Gold as the crowd slowly dispersed.

"Don't worry. It's trapped, just as it was in the candle." Rumple replied, "The only person that can free it is safely in here."

"Hey, Mom, Dad!" Henry called standing next to Felix, "What about Felix? He's still free."

"Henry's right." Regina nodded, "We can't just let Felix walk away freely."

"Oh, don't worry." David reassured, "We got plenty of cell space for this guy."

"You're safe now, Henry." Emma assured as her father took the boy away. Later on, everyone joined Gold as he locked Pandora's Box away in his shop.

"Once I seal the box in here, no one can break the spell but me." Gold explained as he sealed it in a compartment in the floor.

"And you're not gonna do that?" Henry asked.

"Believe me, I want Pan trapped just as much as you."

"Don't worry, Henry." Emma said.

"He's not getting out of there." Neal added.

"We won't let anything happen to you again." Regina promised.

"Damn straight." Nicholas muttered.

"Your mother's right." Gold nodded, "You needn't worry. As long as I'm alive, that boy will never see the light of day."

Later that evening, everyone was celebrating at Granny's over the party returning home and their victory over Pan. As the music was playing and the crowd was laughing and clinking their mugs of beer and ale, Emma went over to the booth Henry was in and gave him his book.

As she did this, Nicholas smiled fondly at his unofficial girlfriend and nephew. Unfortunately, his smile went away as he caught a glimpse at a sight outside. It was a man wearing a navy blue turtleneck sweater with an overcoat and a navy blue stocking hat and slacks leaning against a long, white Rolls-Royce parked across from the diner; he nodded to Nicholas and jerked his head at the car.

With a heavy sigh, Nicholas downed his mug and snuck out of the party. As he did this, Neal approached Emma after she left Henry to himself.

"How's he doing?" Neal asked.

"As good as can be expected." Emma sighed.

"So, uh, Emma, can we…make some time to talk?" he asked nervously.

"Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Emma asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, I-I just thought maybe the two of us."

"Are you trying to ask me on a date?" Emma asked.

"You know, when you put it like that-"

"Neal…I don't…no. I-"

"Hey, listen." he said gently, "Henry's back. And he's safe. We all are. And I know that you and Nicholas are pretty close, but just hear me out. I'll make it easy for you. Tomorrow, I'm gonna be hungry around lunchtime. And so I'm gonna come here, I'm gonna sit in that booth, and you're welcome to join me. And if not? I'll quit bugging you." he offered before joining Henry in his booth.

"Don't say it." Emma said as her parents approached her.

"Say what?" Snow asked.

"That I owe it to Neal to go on a date with him."

"You don't. You owe it to yourself." Snow grinned.

"I can't think about myself right now, not after what Henry just went through. Besides, I don't want to go on a date with Neal any time soon."

"Well, then who?" Snow asked trying not to laugh, "If you could pick anyone in town, who would you date?"

"I can't believe my mother is asking me this." Emma muttered, "Okay, if you want to know so badly, I'll tell you. Nicholas. I'd choose him."

"Nicholas?" David asked in shock as his wife's mouth dropped.

"Nicholas Flamel?" Snow asked, "As in the alchemist who's your great-step-uncle Nicholas Flamel? That Nicholas?"

"Yeah." Emma said sheepishly.

"Well," David said setting his mug on the counter, "It's official. I'm gonna kill him."

"Guys." Emma pleaded trying not to laugh, "Come on."

"Um, wh-when did Nicholas become an option?" Snow asked.

"Well, I've kinda had a crush on him for a while and after the whole thing at Echo Cave…I, uh, told him and he said he felt the same."

"He did?" David asked.

"Well…more or less. He kinda kissed me instead of saying it." Emma replied.

"Yep, I'm definitely gonna kill him." David said nodding his head while controlling his anger, "Alright, where is he? Where's that alchemist? I wanna have a little chat with him."

"David, don't. He's-" Emma said turning to find Nicholas, "He was here a second ago."

"Is that him there?" Snow asked seeing the alchemist having a heated conversation with a man outside.

"Yeah, what's he doing out there?" Emma asked.

"Better question, who's he talking to?" David asked as they watch Nicholas get in the back of the car before being driven off.

"More like, where the hell is he going?" Emma asked.

"I'm sorry to take you from the celebration so soon, sir." the man apologized.

"Ah, it's not your fault, Ishmael." Nicholas waved off, "You're just doing as your told."

"The captain and the others will be happy to see you."

"I'm sure. Although, something tells me it won't be the reunion we were all hoping for." Nicholas remarked.

"No, it won't be. I don't know all the details, but from what the captain told me, you'll understand the situation fairly quick." Ishmael informed. Roughly an hour and a half later, the car came to a stop outside the mansion in the woods. "We've arrived. Welcome back, sir."

"Take care of yourself, Ishmael." Nicholas said as he exited the car. As it drove off, Nicholas went up the stairs and went inside. Spotting the entrance to the council room, Nicholas walked over and entered the fireplace.

"Authorization Code required." the computer's voice said.

"Authorization Code: 6, 8, 3, 5, 9, Serpent, 4, 8, 1, 1, 12, Flask, 8, 9, 1." Nicholas recited.

"Authorization Code accepted. Welcome, Agent Flamel." the computer said as the elevator slowly went down. Once it stopped, Nicholas exited the fireplace, entered the conference room and found his old friends waiting for him in their respective seats.

"Hey, guys." Nicholas greeted somberly, "Been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Too long, mate." Skinner said coming up to hug his old friend.

"Skinner." Nicholas said hugging the invisible man back.

"Welcome back, old friend." Nemo greeted shaking Nicholas's hand before he was pulled into a hug.

"You have no idea how good it is to be back." Nicholas chuckled before pulling Mina into hug and kissing her cheek, "Mina."

"We've missed you." she said kissing his cheek back.

"Hey, bud." Sawyer said shaking Nicholas's hand.

"Tom." Nicholas nodded, "Where's boss?"

As soon as he asked this, Quartermain walked past him and smacked him upside the head before taking his seat.

"Welcome back, Flamel. Take a seat." he said gruffly.

"Sure thing, boss." Nicholas sighed with a smirk, "So, I take it you guys didn't just want me to stop by to catch up on Neverland only."

"No, we didn't." Sawyer replied, "Honestly, none of us are concerned with Pan. Compared to some of the other yahoos we've dealt with, he wasn't much of a threat."

"Nicholas, remember, you will always have our support. Nothing will ever change that." Mina reminded gently.

"What's going on?" Nicholas asked seeing everyone's ashamed looks.

"The truth is…the director is not happy with you, Nicholas." Skinner informed.

"…Oh?" he asked, "Did he mention why?"

"Yes." Quartermain nodded, "He caught wind of your involvement with your mother."

"That part he didn't exactly mind." Mina clarified.

"It's you attacking Snow White and Prince Charming and nearly killing her that he's unhappy with." Quartermain informed, "I understand why you did it, we all do, but if we hadn't stepped in and stopped you…well, you'd be in a much worse situation than you are now."

"I see. And what exactly has the director said concerning that matter, if I may ask?"

"He…expresses the rules to which we abide by." Quartermain said gently.

"We are to give you a warning, Nicholas." Nemo explained.

"Really?" he asked skeptically, "The director made you guys bring me hear, when we haven't seen each other in almost thirty years, just to give me a warning?"

"Trust us, mate. This is one you'll want to remember." Skinner urged, "The director said, 'Tell Flamel this. If he endangers the lives of innocents again, I will personally come to Storybrooke and remind him of the consequences of actions I disapprove of.' His exact words."

"…Innocent?" Nicholas asked, his voice trembling in anger, "The director, our leader and the man who brought us all together to fight the injustice of the realms, sees the woman who tricked my sister into killing our mother as an innocent?"

"Given that Cora had killed that Johanna woman the day before…he, uh, considered that justifiable." Sawyer said awkwardly.

"Just-justifiable?" Nicholas asked in anger, "The woman tricked my sister into killing our own mother after blaming us for crimes we didn't commit due to the bad blood she pretended to move past. Snow blamed us the minute she learned of what happened and didn't think for a second to give us a chance even after all the help I gave them back before the curse."

"While all of that is true, the director is looking past this." Quartermain explained, "He's willing to forgive you this once, and given that the Promised Day has yet to come to pass, you're being let off with a warning."

"And he's going to let them go without any consequences, isn't he?" Nicholas asked running his hand over his face.

"Yeah, pretty much." Sawyer nodded, "Sorry, buddy."

"Ever the biased hypocrite, the director is." Nicholas sighed, "Why I agreed to work for a man like him, I'll never know. Is there anything else the director wants me to know?"

"No, that was it." Skinner replied, "Although, he made it quite clear that this is your final warning."

"Fine. In that case, this meeting is over."

"You're heading out already?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah, everyone's probably noticed I'm gone. Oh, Emma's gonna kill me."

"Emma?" Sawyer smirked, "Sheriff Swan, the beautiful blonde, Emma?"

"Dost mine ears deceive me?" Skinner teased, "Has our little alchemist begun dating the Savior?"

"Shut up, Skinner." Nicholas grumbled.

"I'm not hearing a no~!"

"Alright, alright, all of you, shut up." Nicholas grumbled while grabbing his coat, "I don't need or want to hear any relationship advice from you guys. It's bad enough I have to deal with two other guys going after her and my sister breathing down her neck."

"Say hi to the missus for us, Nicky!" Skinner called as Nicholas left.

"Burn in hell, Skinner!" Nicholas shouted while flipping his friend off as he left.

"Oh, I did miss that lad." Skinner laughed.

Seeing how late it was once he was outside, Nicholas sighed and deconstructed himself back to his room in his house. "Yeah, Emma's gonna kill me." he thought. The next morning as Nicholas was walking through town, he heard the sound of a woman screaming ring throughout town. As he tried to follow the source, he found himself catching up with Emma, David, Hook, and Tink.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"We were wondering the same thing." Hook said.

"Ditto." Nicholas nodded gaining everyone's attention; namely Emma's glare, "Uh, heheh, hey, Emma. Uh, about last night."

"Save it." she snapped, "Right now I've got more important things to deal with than your excuses. We'll talk later."

"There." David said heading in the direction of the screaming. Following the source, everyone ran over to the church and saw Mother Superior running in fear from Pan's shadow. Without warning, it swooped down and tore out her shadow leaving her dead on the pavement.

"She's gone." David informed after checking for a pulse.

"Why would the shadow kill her?" Tink asked.

"No idea, luv." Hook replied, "But I do know the shadow only takes orders from one person."

"Pan." Emma said in worry. After they each made calls, Regina, Henry, Neal, and Snow arrived to see what happened.

"What the hell happened?" Regina asked.

"The shadow." David answered, "It killed her."

"Pan's shadow?" Regina asked, "I trapped it on the sail."

"Yeah, well, it got free." Emma remarked.

"Hook, let's go back to the ship and get the candle." Neal suggested, "If it strikes again, we need to be able to capture it."

"Pan's behind this. I know it." Emma said.

"He's trapped in a box under the floor of Gold's shop." Regina reminded.

"Who else would be doing this?" Emma asked.

"I don't know, maybe you can tell us, Nicholas." Regina remarked while glaring at her brother.

"The hell does that mean?" he asked.

"Well, after your little disappearing act last night, one can only wonder what you were doing." she snapped.

"I was dealing with other matters." he replied.

"What other matters, mate?" Hook asked.

"Personal matters that aren't anyone's business but my own." he retorted hotly, "Are we just gonna question me all day or are we gonna deal with the actual problem at hand?"

"So Pan can still hurt me?" Henry asked in fear.

"We don't know that." Regina coaxed.

"Well, we have to assume he's still a threat." Snow reminded.

"And that he's after Henry." Emma added.

"Then what am I doing here?" he asked.

"Henry's right. He's not safe out in the open." David nodded.

"You'll protect me, right?" Henry asked Regina.

"Well, yes, of course." Regina said while hugging him.

"Even after everything we've faced, he's never acted scared like this." Nicholas thought in suspicion, "Something's not right."

"Go." Emma said, "We'll take care of the shadow."

With the wind at their heels, Snow, David, Emma and Nicholas raced over to Gold's shop only to see him lock it up with Belle.

"No, I'm afraid we're closed." he said before they had a chance, "Whatever crisis you're dealing with, I'm done for the day."

"Rumple." Belle scolded.

"Pandora's Box, give it to me." Emma ordered.

"And why would I do that?" Gold asked.

"We need to open it." Nicholas informed.

"And let Pan escape? What are you, crazy?" he asked.

"Somehow he's controlling the shadow from inside the box. Henry's life is in danger." Snow explained.

"And you think letting Pan out will change that?" he asked.

"Yes, because we can stop him, finally and forever." Emma replied.

"All due respect, Ms. Swan, we barely succeeded in apprehending him the first time. If I've learned one thing, it's not to tempt fate."

"I am not looking to apprehend him. Wouldn't you be sure that he's gone?" she asked.

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Gold asked.

The plan she had in mind was opening the box on the opposite of the town line, that way Pan could be released but he wouldn't have any magic. "There's no magic beyond the town line. If we release Pan outside Storybrooke, he'll be powerless to fight back." Gold explained as everyone approached the orange line.

"Thank you for reminding everyone of what we already know, Rumple." Nicholas remarked dryly.

"I'm doing this." Emma informed.

"I can cross the line and retain my memories." Gold argued.

"It's not about that. There's no magic over there." Emma reminded, "All due respect, the real world is my expertise. I'm gonna deal with Pan on my terms."

"He is my father."

"My hunch." she countered, "If I fail, you're more than welcome to pick up the pieces."

"Emma, be careful." Snow pleaded.

With a wave of his hand, Gold released Pan over the line in a cloud of red smoke. Emma had her gun coked and aimed at the boy as he scrambled to his feet on the pavement. Getting his bearings, Pan looked around and seemed afraid at the sight of Emma holding a gun at him.

"Mom?" he asked.

"What?" she asked.

"What are you waiting for?" Gold asked in hatred, "Shoot him."

"Don't! Please." Pan begged, "I'm Henry. Pan, he-he switched our bodies."

"You expect me to believe that?" Emma asked.

"Don't listen to him. This is one of his tricks." Gold seethed.

"No, it's not!" Pan/Henry stressed, "He did it right before Mr. Gold captured me in the box. I swear."

"Ah! Don't come any closer." Emma warned.

"Shoot him!" Gold snarled.

"Maybe he's telling the truth." Emma suggested, "Maybe that's why I can't shake this feeling something's off about Henry."

"Maybe that's what he wants you to believe. If he steps over this line, we're all dead." Gold warned.

"Alright, if you are really Henry, prove it." Emma ordered, "Tell me something only Henry would know."

"I-I got trapped in the mines. I tried blowing up the well. I like hot cocoa with cinnamon. Nicholas smokes cigars when he's angry and calls me bed-head every morning after I wake up." he listed in panic.

"This proves nothing." Gold hissed.

"He's right, Emma." Snow nodded, "Henry could've told Pan all of this in Neverland."

"Pan might know facts, but life is made up of more than that. There are moments. He can't possibly know all of them." Emma said sternly, "The first time you and I connected. You remember that? Not met but connected."

"Yeah."

"Where was it?"

"In my castle, right after you came to Storybrooke."

"And what did you tell me?"

"That I knew why you gave me up."

"Why?"

"Because you wanted to give me my best chance."

Hearing the right answer, Emma lowered her weapon and looked her son in the eyes. "Henry?"

"Mom." he said happily as they hugged.

"It is Henry." she said to everyone, "Promise you're not gonna incinerate us when we step over the line?"

Seeing Gold nod, they crossed over and Henry immediately hugged the rest of his family. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Henry." Gold apologized, "And I'm sorry I put you in this box in the first place."

"It's okay. I would have done the same thing." Henry chuckled.

"If he's all the way out here, where's Pan?" David asked.

"Where do you think, genius?" Nicholas asked hotly as he tried to call his sister, "Dammit! She's not picking up."

"Where is she?" Snow asked.

"She went to take 'Henry' to the vault to keep him safe. No doubt Pan found something in there he's used to his advantage against her. We need to get there, now."

"Alright then, Gold, transport us there and we'll finish this." David ordered.

"No." Nicholas denied, "He'll sense the shift in magic and he'll sense my alchemy if I deconstruct myself over there."

"So what do we do? Go to the vault on foot?" Snow asked.

"Yep. And unfortunately, that'll take a large chunk of time." Nicholas pointed out, "Come on, let's get moving."

Like Nicholas said, it took quite a bit of time for everyone to reach the vault. Night had already fallen and Regina still didn't respond to anyone's calls.

"When we find Pan, remember, he's still in my body. So if you have to throw a fireball or something, at least avoid the face." Henry pleaded fearing what Gold might do.

"I'll do my best." he replied. As they reached the mausoleum, they saw Hook, Tink and Neal waiting for them.

"Is it really you?" Neal asked Henry as he ran up to hug him.

"Did you find the shadow?" David asked.

"Not yet." Tink replied.

"But we'll be ready for him when we do." Hook said holding the coconut.

"It's Pan we should be concerned about now." Gold commented, "Why are we still up here?"

"It's locked up tight." Neal replied.

"Really?" Gold asked before trying to take away the barrier but to no avail.

"Told you."

"Fair enough. This gonna take some time."

Still feeling worried, Emma stepped back to collect herself, only to be interrupted by her parents. "It's going to be okay, you know. Everything's going to be okay." Snow assured.

"No, it's not." Emma argued, "Even if Pan's down there, I can't use my gun. He's in Henry's body."

"And we'll get him out. We'll save him." David replied.

"Will we?" Emma asked.

"Yes, and because of you. You were right about Pan. Just like your mother was about Regina all those years ago. We'll stop him. And then you can-"

"Live my moments?" she cut off, "Even though there's still terrible things out there?"

"Exactly." her parents nodded.

"You're great parents, but…you're wrong. I'm the Savior. I don't have the luxury of having moments. It's just not my life. Every time I think I'm gonna sit back and enjoy myself, I can't because it's never gonna stop."

"I used to think the same way." Snow provided.

"It's different. My magic has a price. The price of being the Savior is…I don't get a day off."

"Which is why you have us to be there at your side when things get rough." Nicholas reminded from behind, "Life's not easy, that's for damn sure, Emma. But even if it means spending each day fighting off psychopaths, count me in."

"Thanks, Nicholas." Emma said with a caring smile, "So are you finally gonna tell us where the hell you were yesterday?"

"Oh, look the door's open." he said pointing to the entrance, "Shall we?"

"Let's" Gold hissed. As they walked in, Snow spotted Regina on the floor unconscious.

"Pan's gone." David informed.

"We're clear down here!" Emma called to the others.

"And so are some of Regina's supplies." Nicholas added as he inspected an open box's contents while Gold awoke his sister.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's Henry." Emma informed, "Somehow, Pan switched bodies with him."

"And I fell for it."

"We all did." Snow coaxed.

"Oh, I wanted to believe what he was saying so badly, I missed all the signs. I-I just wanted to believe that he still needed me to be his mother." Regina said feeling like a fool.

"I still do." Henry said.

"Henry?" she asked as he went over to give her a much needed hug.

"So what exactly did Pan come down here to get?" David asked before noticing Gold's shocked expression, "What?"

"Please tell me you didn't keep it down here." he begged.

"Where else would I keep it?" Regina asked.

"Oh, cripes, no." Nicholas gasped.

"What is it?" Emma asked, "What did Pan take?"

"The scroll containing the dark curse that brought us all here and created Storybrooke." he gulped.

"Why would Pan want the dark curse? I already cast it." Regina reminded.

"And I broke it." Emma added.

"Well, that doesn't mean he can't cast it again." Gold explained, "And this time, without your parents' true love woven in, even you would be powerless to break it."

"I don't understand. We're already in this land." David said.

"What exactly would casting the curse in Storybrooke do now?" Snow asked.

"The same thing that happened to everyone before: everyone will forget who they are as time stands still; including Regina and I this time. Only this time, Pan will be the one in charge."

"So that means…" Emma carried.

"That means, Pan's gonna turn this place into the new Neverland." Nicholas finished.


	28. Going Home

**Folks, we've finally made it to the end of the first half of season 3. I bet a lot of you Zelena fans are looking forward to seeing Nicholas interact with his new big sister, right? So am I, believe me, they won't have as strained of a relationship as Regina does with her. Anyway, unfortunately, it might be some time for upcoming chapters after this Saturday due to upcoming finals (yah! (not)). In any case, I hope you guys enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

"Another curse?" Snow asked as they left the vault, "It's happening again?"

"Gold, this curse, is it gonna work like the last one?" Emma asked.

"The last one was created to service the queen's wishes. This will be done per Pan's desire. I would count on something hellish."

"The curse was built to be unstoppable. There's nothing that can be done." Regina added.

"Well, it is possible to stop it. By using the scroll itself. It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. That's you, Regina." Gold explained.

"What do I have to do?"

"You must destroy the scroll. Both your curse and his shall be ended, but know this. There will be a price. A steep one."

"What do you suggest?"

"Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell, one that will return Pan and Henry to their own bodies."

"If I'm back in my own body, that means I'll have the scroll. I-I can bring it to you guys." Henry realized.

"Exactly right, Henry." Gold nodded.

"Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell."

"Well, given the proper tool, I could be." he countered.

"The black fairy's wand." Tink suggested, "One of the most powerful fairies that ever existed. Well versed in dark magic. The blue fairy exiled her. But before she did, she took her wand."

"Sounds like our deceased nun wasn't very lenient towards others even then." Nicholas remarked, "I take it she kept it hidden somewhere close to keep an eye on it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hit the convent." David suggested.

"Can I come?" Tink asked, "I should pay my respects to Blue, after all."

"Then it's settled. The rest of us should go back to my shop and prepare Henry for the spell." Gold said unaware that the shadow was listening on them and Pan had finished enacting the curse at the well.

In Gold's shop, Henry was preparing himself for the next phase in the plan. "You doing okay, kiddo?" Nicholas asked.

"Yeah." he nodded, "I'm just ready to be me again."

"Not much longer now, Henry. Not much longer." Gold calmly assured, "Once we have the wand, all will be as it should."

About twenty minutes later, David and the others returned with the wand. "She's back, the Blue Fairy. She gave us the wand."

"Do we need anything else?" Emma asked.

"Only one more item." Gold replied while taking the magic sealing cuff from his cabinet.

"What is that?" Snow asked.

"This is one of the only useful things I managed to pilfer from Greg and Tamara before they left for Neverland. It renders anyone with magic utterly powerless."

"I haven't forgotten about all of that, by the way." Regina informed looking at Hook.

"Neither have I." Nicholas added.

"Let me see your wrist, Henry. I wanna make sure that when my dear old dad awakes, that he's weakened. This will block his powers." Rumple explained.

"So what happens now?" Henry asked.

"I enact the spell, you fall into a deep sleep, and when you awake, you're back in your own body."

"And then you hang on to that scroll, and you come find us as fast as you can." Regina added.

"When I gave my heart to Pan, I thought I was being a hero." Henry scoffed, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not the one that needs to be sorry." David denied, "Pan does."

"It's time." Gold informed as Henry laid down on the bed, "Keep your eye on the wand."

In a matter of seconds, Pan's body was zapped with energy and began to convulse and tremble as the souls were being swapped.

"What's happening?" Emma asked in concern.

"Henry's spirit is leaving Pan's body."

Once the body calmed down, Pan laid helplessly unconscious before them. "It worked." Regina said happily.

"Let's go find our son." Emma said as everyone left the room.

"I wonder how many times she's said that in the last few weeks." Nicholas thought. As they hurried through town to find Henry, Nicholas took the lead, "I've got his scent. He's nearby."

"The tower?" Snow asked.

"Bingo." he nodded as they ran over. As they reached it, they all saw Henry burst through the library and run over to them.

"It's me! It's me. It worked." he said as his mothers crushed him a hug, "Mom, Mom, I just saw you guys. You guys just saw me."

"But we didn't see you." Regina corrected as Henry handed them the scroll.

"Oh, he's got it." Emma breathed, "It's up to you now."

As Regina held the scroll, a flash of purple light came from it and made her collapse on the pavement.

"Regina!" Emma exclaimed.

"Sis?" Nicholas asked in concern, "Sis, are you alright?"

"Regina!" Emma shook, "Regina! Regina!"

Finally, Regina awoke with a loud gasp. "Sis, what happened? Are you okay?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was just…"

"What is it?" Snow asked, "What happened when you touched it?"

"I saw what needed to be done." she replied.

"Mom, are you gonna be okay?" Henry asked.

"The important this is, you will be." she said with love before noticing the scroll was gone.

"No, he won't." Pan said approaching them all.

"He has the-" Hook tried to say only to be cut off by Pan freezing them all in place.

"Curse?" Pan asked with a grin, "That I do. Look at you all. A captive audience. I could play with you like a pack of dolls, couldn't I? But I think I'll start with these two." he said approaching Belle and Neal.

"Hmm, you both look so adorable. Hard to tell which one to kill first." he mused evilly, "No, it isn't. You. You first." he said pointing at Neal.

"Stay away from them." Gold growled while shoving his father aside.

"Well, how about this?" Pan said in amusement, "The worm has teeth. What, you're here to pwotect your wuved ones?"

"I'm not going to let you touch either one of them."

"Oh, and I'd like to see that."

"Oh, you will." Gold promised, "Because I have a job to finish, and I have to do it, whatever it takes. No loopholes. And what needs to be done has a price; a price I'm finally willing to pay. I used the curse to find you, Bae, to tell you I made a mistake, to make sure you had a chance at happiness. And that happiness is possible. Just not with me. I accept that."

"Pretty, pretty words." Pan said in annoyance.

"I love you, Bae." Gold whispered, "And I love you, Belle. You made me stronger."

"Stronger?" Pan huffed pointing to the cuff on Gold's wrist, "Yes. But still, no magic."

"Oh, but I don't need it. You see, you may have lost your shadow, but there's one thing you're forgetting."

"And what's that?"

"So have I. I sent it away with something to hide."

Just then, Gold's shadow swooped down and gave him his dagger before rejoining him as he held Pan against him in a tight lock.

"Ugh! What are you doing?!" Pan asked in fear.

"You see, the only way for you to die, is if we both die." Gold explained as he struggled, "And now, now…I'm ready!"

Plunging the dagger through his father, Gold held on tight as Pan changed from a teenage boy to a middle aged man that resembled the dark one, trembling in pain.

"Hello, Papa." Gold greeted.

"Rumple, please." he begged, "You can stop this. Remove the dagger. We can start over. We can have a happy ending."

"Ah, but I'm a villain." Rumple reminded, "And villains don't get happy endings."

Twisting the dagger in, Gold plunged it where it also stabbed his own heart. As the light enveloped them, both father and son disappeared leaving only the curse scroll behind and everyone looking at the spot in shock and sorrow.

Belle was sobbing as she fell to the ground while Neal struggled to keep his composure. "No! Rumple…he's-he's gone." Belle sobbed as Regina reached down to grab the scroll.

"Regina, are you okay?" Snow asked.

"…I'm fine." she replied.

"I'm so sorry." Emma said to Neal.

"My father did what he had to do. He saved us." Neal said as his voice broke, "Regina, don't let him die for nothing."

The queen seemed to be in a daze as Neal spoke to her. She barely seemed aware of where she was.

"Regina?" Nicholas asked.

"What?" she asked finally snapping out of it.

"We're here for a reason, luv. Pan?" Hook reminded.

"He's dead." she replied.

"His curse remains. Can you stop it? Or should we all start preparing our souls? Because mine's gonna take some time" he joked.

"It's here!" Leroy cried as he ran to them, "It's here! The curse! It's here! It's coming! From all sides. There's no escape."

"It's not too late. We can still stop it, right? Regina?" David asked.

"Yes. Yes." she breathed.

"Wh-what's the price?" Emma asked, "Gold said that there was a price. What is our price."

"Regina?" Nicholas asked.

"It's not our price." she corrected, "It's mine."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's what I felt when I first held it. I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most."

"Henry?" Emma asked.

"I can never see him again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started." Regina explained.

"The curse that brought is to Storybrooke." Snow said.

"That created Storybrooke." Nicholas corrected, "It doesn't belong here. Neither do any of us."

"Breaking the curse destroys the town." David said trying to let it sink in.

"It will wink out of existence as though it were never here. And everyone would go back to where they're from, prevented from ever returning." Regina said with dread.

"You'll go back to the Enchanted Forest?" Emma asked.

"All of us. Except Henry." Nicholas corrected, "He will stay here because he was born in this realm. Everyone that was born outside of Storybrooke will be returned to the realms they belong; including you and Neal. Henry will have to stay."

"Alone?" Emma asked.

"No." Regina denied, "You will take him, because you're the Savior. You were created to break the curse. And once again, you can escape it."

"…I-I don't want to. We'll both go back with everyone." Emma argued.

"That's not an option." Regina replied over the thunderclaps, "I can't be with him. If I don't pay the price, none of this will work."

"Emma, you have to go." Snow said.

"I just found you." she said.

"And now it's time for you to leave us again. For your best chance, for his."

"No." Emma denied, "N-no, I-I…I'm not…done. I'm the Savior, right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings. That's what Henry always said."

"Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be." Snow said with a sad smile, "Look around you. You've touched the lives of everyone here."

"But we're a family."

"Yes, and we always will be. You gave us that."

"You and Henry can be a family, and you can get your wish." David said, "You can be like everyone else. You can be happy."

"It's time for you to believe in yourself, Emma. It's time for you to have hope." Snow urged.

"I've known you for some time," Regina said, "And all I want was for you to get the hell out of my life so I can be with my brother and son. But, really, what I want is for Henry to be happy."

"So do I." Nicholas nodded trying to control his emotions, "We have no choice. You have to go, Emma."

"…Okay." she whispered.

The group and the dwarves headed over to the town line as quick as they could to say their final goodbyes as the curse came closer and closer. Emma and Henry hugged Snow and David in a tight embrace before Henry went over to Regina and Nicholas.

"This isn't fair." he said looking them in the eye, "It's all my fault."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked.

"If I had never gone to get Emma, if I just lived under the curse with you guys, none of this would've ever happened. I thought I was alone. I thought neither of you loved me. But I was wrong.

"Kiddo," Nicholas whispered, "We were wrong, too."

"It wasn't your fault. It's mine." Regina said, "I cast a curse out of vengeance instead of listening to your uncle. And I'm…I'm a villain. You heard Mr. Gold. Villains don't get happy endings."

"Neither do monsters." Nicholas added.

"You're not a villain or a monster." Henry argued as his voice broke before hugging them, "You're my mom and uncle."

After Henry broke from the hug to say goodbye to Neal, the two siblings approached Emma.

"Emma, there's something I haven't told you. Something the both of you need to know." Regina said looking at the couple.

"What now?" Emma sighed.

"When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind…including your memories. It's just what the curse does. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won't ever have existed. So these last years…will be gone from your and Henry's memories. And we just go back to being stories again. You won't even remember Nicholas."

If it wasn't broken enough already, Nicholas swore he felt what was left of his heart break upon hearing this.

"What will happen to us?" Emma asked.

"I don't know."

"That doesn't sound much like a happy ending."

"It's not." Nicholas sadly chuckled.

"But I can give you one." Regina informed.

"You can preserve our memories?"

"No. I can…do what I did to everyone else in this town; give you new ones."

"You cursed them, and they were miserable." Emma countered.

"They didn't have to be. My gift to you is good memories. A good life for you and Henry. You'll have never given him up. You'll have always been together."

"You would do that?" Emma asked.

"When I stop Pan's curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted."

"But it won't be real."

"Your past won't, but your future will." Regina sighed, "There isn't much time left. I'll give you two a moment."

Nicholas stared Emma in the eyes with nothing but sorrow and heartache. "I'm an idiot." he admitted.

"Why?" she asked.

"For not realizing how I felt about you sooner and acting on those feelings." he replied, "I was wrapped up in my thoughts and I didn't do a damn thing until the last minute. Heh, guess I'm exactly boyfriend material, huh?"

"You would have been the best." Emma said cupping his cheek before pulling him in for one last kiss. As they parted, they pressed their foreheads together and struggled not to get too emotional.

"You will be in my heart until the day I die." Nicholas whispered as the curse came closer. With tears rolling down her face, Emma parted from the hug and got into her car with Henry.

As the cloud came closer, Regina tore the scroll and turned the green smoke into the same shade of purple it was when Regina first cast it. As it enveloped them all, Emma drove over the line without a single memory of the previous two years. All she remembered was that her name was Emma Swan, she was a bails bondsperson, she lived in Boston with her elven year old son Henry and that she had been an orphan her whole life without knowing a single member of her family.

Or even opening her heart to another man since Neal abandoned her.

 **Three Months Later**

In the ever busy city of Manhattan, New York, Emma Swan, wearing a beautiful tight, red dress walked into a fancy restaurant. The waiter spotted her and led her outside to a table that already had a well-dressed gentleman waiting.

"Uh, Emma?" he asked as she approached the table.

"Yep, that's me." she chuckled while taking her seat, "Sorry I'm late. Traffic in New York, right?"

"Yeah, believe me, I know." he chuckled, "Don't worry about it. We'll just consider this being fashionably late."

"Thanks. Uh, fair warning, I don't usually do this sort of thing. My son thought it'd be a good idea for me to start dating again. And I just blew it telling you I have a son before even getting a glass of water. Good move, Emma."

"Please, don't worry about it." he laughed, "Honestly, I don't understand why that drives some people off. I happen to like kids. Hell, I helped raised my sister's for eleven years."

"Really?" Emma asked smirking.

"Yeah. But before we get any further into talking about relatives and kids, seeing as that's more appropriate for a second date, let's just start off with properly introducing ourselves."

"Okay." Emma laughed, "Uh, hi, my name is Emma Swan. What's yours?"

"Pleased to meet you, Emma Swan." he grinned, "My name is Nicholas Mills."


	29. New York City Serenade

**Alright, folks, here's the next chapter. There'll be another A.N. at the end, just to let you know. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

One year ago after the curse was destroyed, the massive purple cloud of magic flooded the Enchanted Forest and did its job in a matter of seconds. When it cleared, Aurora and Prince Phillip who were only wanting to enjoy a quiet morning together looked at the sight before them in astonishment. Dressed in the same clothes they wore nearly thirty years ago, Snow, David, the dwarves, Red, Hook, Neal, Granny, Belle, Regina and Nicholas stood before them with solemn looks on their faces.

"Snow, Nicholas…what happened?" Aurora asked.

"…We're back." Snow said feeling heartbroken. Seeing the looks on their faces, the happy couple offered to console them and hear what happened along with answering questions of their own.

"How long has it been since we left? Have the ogres been causing trouble?" Nicholas asked.

"No, they've been defeated." Aurora replied, "We're restoring our kingdom and our lives."

"And congratulations." Snow praised looking at Aurora's pregnant stomach.

"Thank you." she giggled.

"Why is she pregnant and I'm the one who's sick?" Regina asked.

"We have much to celebrate." Philip said, "And know that you and your friends are welcome in our kingdom. If you need anything, we're at your service."

"Thank you, but all we need is horses." David replied, "We have our own kingdom, our own castle."

"Which was destroyed in the curse." Nicholas dryly reminded.

"Well-played by your sister, mate." Hook remarked, "She laid waste to everything."

"Not everything." Aurora interjected, "Her castle still stands."

"Of course it does. I protected it." Regina commented.

"Well, technically, the castle doesn't belong to her or Nicholas. It was Snow's before they took it." David reminded sourly.

"Lump me in with Snow's misfortune one more time, Shepard. I freaking dare you." Nicholas threatened with his hands sparking, "I am not in the mood to hear your gripping."

"And to be fair, I married into it and I most certainly wasn't going to let my brother be homeless." Regina defended a bit more gently.

"That you did. And now we're taking it back," Snow informed.

"Not five minutes back and we're already doing this again?" Nicholas asked as he was about to harden his shield.

"And you two are coming with us." Snow finished.

"You can't be serious." Regina scoffed.

"Come again from the elementary teacher?" Nicholas asked.

"Guys, everyone out there is scared and confused. They need hope. What better way to do that than to return united?" Snow asked, "You're coming with us. I know neither of you like it but you'll learn to. For our good and for yours."

"…Well, if it means I won't have to break into my old room to steal my old research notes, fine." Nicholas nonchalantly shrugged.

 **OUaT**

In present time in New York, Emma was walking to the same table at the same restaurant where she had her first date with Nicholas. It had already been a little over nine months since that evening and she couldn't be happier. Nicholas proved to be a wonderful boyfriend and showed nothing but love for not only her, but her son Henry as well. To her, it was strange how well he was able to bond with Henry at first, but not having to worry about her son disapproving of her relationship due to not liking the man was certainly a plus.

It took her sometime, but after five months, and nearly loosing Nicholas in an accident at his office (more details on that later), Emma was finally able to admit that she loved the man; although, he said it first. All in all, her relationship with Nicholas was the best she had ever had.

Little did she know, it was all built on a lie.

True, they did love each other, but Nicholas never made any effort in telling Emma about who they really were and what had happened in the previous years in Storybrooke. Why you may ask? He was under orders not to.

After the curse was completely broken and everyone returned to their home realms, Nicholas tried to get back into his old rut and join up with the L.O.E.G. again. For a brief time, that worked. That is until the League's director contacted him and told him to return to the Land Without Magic to tragic down and kill a target. He did so, after a time of settling in and readying his plan, but afterwards, he decided to stay in order to find Emma and Henry.

The director never said anything about immediately returning.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Earlier today, he had received a call on his enchanted shell from Sawyer who had an important message. He said that somehow, Storybrooke had returned along with everyone in it and it was time for him to return with the one person capable of breaking curses: Emma.

Knowing what he had to do, Nicholas hardened his heart and put his skills to good use. With what resources he had, Nicholas made an alchemic elixir that would restore anyone's memories. However, he couldn't make enough for Henry, so Emma would be the only one who would be regaining her memories. Our dear alchemist was currently thinking this as he stared into space as his pipe hanged in his mouth.

"Hey, babe," Emma greeted as she took her seat, "Sorry I'm late. Work was killer today. I-"

Finally noticing her boyfriend's expression, Emma became concerned. "Nicholas? What's the matter?"

"Hmm?" he asked snapping out of his daze, "Oh, I'm sorry. I-I-I was thinking about something. So work, huh? I'm guessing you caught the guy?"

"Well, you know me." she chuckled.

"Yeah, if you hadn't, you'd have canceled." Nicholas grinned.

"And you know me too well."

"Emma Swan always gets her man." Nicholas said as their waiter brought them two glasses and a bottle of red wine.

"And apparently my drink. Thank you." Emma said while Nicholas's face scrunched up in disgust.

"My pleasure. If either of you need anything else, feel free to ask." he said politely as he kept his eyes on her. As he walked away, Nicholas exhaled and waved his hand in front of his face.

"Gah!" he exclaimed.

"What's with you?" she asked.

"You didn't smell that?!" he asked, "Agh, the guy smelt like a chimp! I guess we know that this isn't his only job now."

"I think you're overreacting a bit." Emma remarked.

"Am I?! It was like standing next to the chimps at the zoo!"

"You and that sensitive nose of yours." Emma said rolling her eyes, "I'm surprised you never act like this whenever you go to that cigar lounge of yours."

"That's because I enjoy the smell of tobacco." he retorted, "And it's the one place I can go to enjoy my pipe and a rich whiskey or scotch without people looking at me thinking I'm a fifties wannabe."

"Well, given that you drive a car from the 50s doesn't help either. But that's just one of your qualities I've gotten used to."

"I pull that kinda stuff off and you know it." he laughed, "By the way, how did Henry's volcano do at the science fair?"

"Thanks to your help, it was Pompeii all over again." Emma said as they clinked their glasses together, "I think you're being quite the influence for him."

"It's like I told him, girls like good looking guys, but they like them even more when they can prove just how smart they are. And Henry fits that bill quite well. I just wish you would have let us use real lava like we wanted."

"Well, I doubt his teachers would have appreciated that." Emma laughed as she opened her menu, "I'm starving, let's eat."

After they finished their meals, Nicholas couldn't help but stare into Emma's eyes. "What?" she asked only to not receive an answer, "What?"

"Nothing." he replied with a sad smile as she laughed.

"Finish your food and stop staring at me, will you?" she laughed.

"Uh, Emma?" Nicholas asked taking her free hand, "When we first met here…did…"

"Yes?" she carried.

"Did I…seem familiar to you?"

"Oh," Emma said expecting him to say something else, "Oh, uh, no. How could you? That was the first time we met."

"Well…that's not exactly true." Nicholas gently explained, "We've, uh, actually met before."

"What do you mean?" she skeptically asked, "Did we meet when we were kids and I forgot or something?"

"Not exactly. It-it's complicated." he stuttered as he reached for a small vial in his pocket.

"Oh, God, what's happening?" Emma asked becoming panicked as she watched her boyfriend reach for something.

"Emma, hear me out. I-Emma?" he asked as he looked up to see her speed off from the table, "Emma, wait up!"

Trying to control her breathing, Emma walked down the sidewalk across the street breathing heavily. "Emma!" Nicholas called trying to catch up. As he did he saw a hooded figure pull the blonde into an alley. Running through traffic, Nicholas caught up to see his girlfriend struggle in the goon's hold with a chloroform soaked cloth over her face while another guy tugged at her dress.

"Hey!" Nicholas shouted, "Get your filthy hands off her!"

"You gonna make us, fool?" one of them asked as he pulled out a gun, "You wanna get capped?!"

"Don't make me repeat myself, you bastard." he warned, "Let her go or die."

"Go to hell!"

Emma looked watched her the blurred shape of her boyfriend get shot repeatedly in the chest. Tears filled her eyes over the loss of her lover and out of fear for what was going to happen to her before she passes out. But before Nicholas's body hit the ground, his wounds healed themselves.

"Well, damn." Nicholas sighed in annoyance, "This was my favorite vest. Guess you two are gonna have to die after all."

With his hand raised, he transmuted the air around the thugs and caused them to choke and slowly die. As soon as they were dead, Nicholas made sure the coast was clear and deconstructed their bodies leaving nothing behind. After that, he went over and woke Emma up while using his alchemy to patch up the bullet holes.

"Emma?" he asked as she came to, "Are you alright?"

"Nicholas?" she slurred before becoming wide awake, "You-you were, you were shot."

"No, no, I'm fine. See? They missed." lied the alchemist.

"Wh-where did they go?"

"Hell." he bluntly thought before saying, "They ran off after I broke their arms and beat them up."

"You did?" she asked.

"I'm tougher than I look." he shrugged as he helped her up, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Not the first time I've dealt with overly handsy guys."

"Come on, let's get you home." Nicholas suggested, "By the way, when you ran off, did you think I was going to propose to you?"

"Uh…love you." Emma said hurrying to Nicholas's 1950 black, convertible BMW 507 while he chuckled. But the chuckling didn't last, he quickly thought back to the little vial in his pocket.

"I can't keep lying to her." he thought, "She needs to know."

 **OUaT**

As the group reached the castle, after meeting up with Robin Hood and his Merry Men of all people along the way, they all noticed a trench of burnt ground surround the border of the castle's perimeter.

"What happened?" Snow asked.

"That's exactly what I'm about to find out." Regina said. As she approached the burns, she gently reached out and touched a green, magical barrier. "A protection spell," she announced, "The entire castle's encircled by it."

"Didn't you do this?" David asked, "Undo it."

"Well don't you think if I could, I would be halfway home by now?" she asked, "No. Someone hijacked it."

"Who? Who's in there?" Snow asked.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out whoever's eating my porridge. Nobody sits in my chair. Nobody takes our castle."

"That would have sounded much more serious if you hadn't made those Goldilocks references, sis." Nicholas dryly commented, "Best not to become too riled up. We've got a lot of people looking to us and they're a bit scared. I say we get them to safety first."

"They'll be safe when whoever's in there is dead." Regina retorted.

"Rushing in there is a bad plan, Regina. You know that." Snow reminded.

"I can offer safe harbor in Sherwood Forest." Robin offered, "It's not far. We can offer food, shelter, and a thick canopy no creature will spy you under."

"Do you have weapons?" David asked.

"We're lousy with them."

"Hell, that sounds pretty damn good to me." Nicholas chuckled.

"Fine. Lead the way. But we're coming back. And whoever did this is going to suffer." Regina warned.

"Regina, it's our home. We'll make it safe again." Snow promised.

 **OUaT**

The next day, Nicholas decided it was time to come clean and jog Emma's memory. Thankfully, Henry was over at a friend's place so he didn't need to worry about him hearing the inevitable shouting Emma had instore for him. With a glass of water in his hand, Nicholas emptied the contents of the vial in it and let it sink for his plan to get her to regain her memories.

"Hey, Emma?" Nicholas called from the kitchen.

"Yeah?" she asked from her coach.

"I think something's wrong with your pipes." he lied.

"Think so?"

"Yeah, the water tastes funny to me." he said walking over with the glass, "Try this, see if it tastes weird to you."

"Okay." she shrugged before drinking it all. In a second, her mind was overflown with nearly two years-worth of memories. Seeing her expression, Nicholas decided to test if it worked.

"Emma, what's my name?"

"…Your name is Nicholas Flamel." she whispered.

"Bingo." he said taking the glass from her hand, "Welcome back, Sheriff."

"…What the hell was in that water?" she bluntly asked.

"A little memory serum I whipped up. Didn't expect it to work being mixed in with water, but an experiment does come with risks. Although, you actually may want to get your pipes checked 'cause I did notice some gunk in it the other day." Nicholas explained like it was a normal conversation.

"O-okay, can we ignore my pipes for a sec and establish how the hell you're here?!"

"Well, if you feel like that's more important that discussing the best way to avoid drinking water with too much iron in it, sure." Nicholas joked as he took a seat.

"How are you here? I thought Regina said that there was no possible way for anyone to return after the curse was ended."

"Well, one of my many abilities is being able to transport myself, and only myself, to any world of my choosing." he replied.

"Why did you come?" she asked.

"Multiple reasons. One of which was because I wanted to see you and Henry and make sure you were alright. The others…well, we can talk about that later." he said only to change his mind at the sight of Emma's death glare, "Or now, we can talk about it now. I was informed that something dangerous was trying to track you down in this realm and I came over to take care of it. After I did, I decided to stay."

"So us meeting on a blind date?" Emma asked.

"Hacked the site, found your profile and went from there." Nicholas replied.

"The money you've been spending on all our dates, gifts and your car?"

"Made money from turning scrap metal into gold and used my alchemy to duplicate bills and change."

"Those two thugs from last night?"

"Killed them, deconstructed their bodies and destroyed any remaining evidence."

"The explosion at your office?"

"The office was a lie, I just went there to have a private place to do my research and continue my physical training, but the explosion actually happened because of the thing I was tracking down and the fight we had which caused the explosion." he defended.

"So everything in this relationship has been a lie." Emma stated, "You've been lying to me about everything."

"Well, in my defense, you wouldn't have believed me if I said, 'Hey, Emma. You don't remember me because my big sister, the Evil Queen, messed with your memories after the curse on a town called Storybrooke was destroyed, but just for the sake of reintroducing myself my name is Nicholas Flamel the Immortal Alchemist; would you like to see me chop off my arm and watch it grow back?'"

"…Okay, you got me there. But why didn't you just return my memories in the first place?"

"I didn't know how until yesterday." he defended, "I had only found out about what happened to everyone that morning."

"Wait, what happened?" she asked.

"Oh, right, I haven't told you yet. Somehow Storybrooke is back along with everyone in it. Only problem is, no one remembers anything from the year they were in the Enchanted Forest and has no idea who cast the curse."

"How did you find out about this?" Emma asked.

"With this." Nicholas said revealing his shell.

"A shell?" she asked skeptically.

"An enchanted shell. It's like a radio capable of sending messages even across realms." he explained, "A friend of mine contacted me and told me what happened along with what I would need to make a serum with my alchemy to restore your memories. Unfortunately, I only had enough for you so Henry won't be getting his back anytime soon."

"So you have no idea who cast this new curse?"

"Well, I do have one." he said as someone knocked on the door, "We're we expecting anyone?"

"No." Emma said getting up to answer it. When she did, a UPS guy was standing before her, "Uh, can I help you?"

"I smell chimps again." Nicholas thought before he realized the situation.

"Yes, I have a delivery for a Ms. Emma Swan." he said as Nicholas was preparing his alchemy.

"I didn't order anything." she said.

"Oh, well. The sender insists you take it." he said growing impatient.

"Well, I'll have to say no, goodbye." Emma said before closing the door on him. However, the man pushed it back and started snarling at her like a wild animal with glowing red eyes. In a puff of smoke, he transformed into a winged monkey-like monster and tried to pounce on her; thankfully, Nicholas made a wall spring up from the floor which the monster ran into face first.

After he took it down, Nicholas grabbed the beast and said, "No pets allowed."

After that, he slammed his elbow into its collar bone and threw it out the nearest open window where it disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

"So did you miss this part of the old job? I kinda did, to be honest." he said to his girlfriend.

"We leave in the morning." she decided.

"Alright!" Nicholas cheered, "We're back, baby!"

The next morning, Nicholas waited for his girlfriend and nephew in his car. As he waited, he pulled out his shell and made contact with the League.

"This is Flamel reporting in, does anyone copy?" he asked.

"This is Sawyer, I copy." Sawyer replied.

"Good news, tell the others the Savior has her memory back and that we'll be back in Storybrooke tonight. I'll report to the mansion after everyone's asleep, last thing I need is to have a repeat of the last time they caught me wondering off."

"Roger, I'll tell boss right away." Sawyer replied.

"Hmm, out." Nicholas said ending the conversation as he saw Emma, now wearing her old red jacket, and Henry come outside. "Hey, kiddo. Ready for the road trip?"

"Are you kidding? No school and hanging out with you guys on a case? I can't wait." Henry said in excitement.

After a long day of driving, the two cars finally reached Storybrooke. Everything was as it was before the curse ended, all of the same shops, buildings and cars; nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But that was never the case when it came to Storybrooke.

"It's really back." Emma said as she and Nicholas got out of their cars, "I'm really back."

"As quaint and homey as you remember?" Nicholas asked.

"As cursed as I remember." she remarked, "What's the plan?"

"Well, while I would like to keep an eye on you seeing as we have no idea just how much things have changed, it's probably best to see how your parents and my sister are."

"Okay." she nodded, "I'll call you when I can."

"Right." Nicholas said before pulling her in for a kiss.

"Uh, not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" Emma asked with a chuckle.

"Just wanted to make sure I didn't screw things up so much that I couldn't do that anymore." he replied.

"Nicholas," Emma sighed, "While I'm still kinda pissed that you lied to me, nothing is going to change between us, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too." he said feeling the weight leave his shoulders.

After they went their separate ways, Nicholas pulled up to his house and knocked on the door. A few moments passed and Regina finally opened the door with a shocked expression on her face.

"…Hey, sis." he said feeling a swarm of emotions inside.

"Nicholas?" she asked before wrapping her arms around him with a tear or two rolling down her face, "W-wh-where have you been? I've been looking for you all over town for days."

"We may have to take this inside." he said hesitantly, "A lot's happened and you're undoubtedly gonna want to punch me in the face."

 **OUaT**

Inside the castle in the Enchanted Forest, a flying monkey flew in to meet with its mistress. "Now I shall have my revenge." she said as the beast screeched in question, "Of course I will. The queen may be evil and the alchemist may be immortal, but I'm wicked."

Standing before a tall mirror, the green skinned Wicked Witch of the West smiled evilly at her reflection. "And wicked always wins."

 **So originally, I was going to make a bunch of chapters involving Nicholas's time in New York with Emma, but seeing as that would take too long and I'll be busy studying for finals, that wouldn't have ended well. Regarding that little detail concerning Nicholas's office, I don't know when I'm gonna write that one, but I can tell you it will be action packed badass.**

 **Anyways, as always, I hoped you guys enjoyed and let me know what you think. See ya next time!**


	30. Witch Hunt

**I'm back! After weeks of studying, I'm finally done with finals this semester and I won't be going back until January! I'll try to get as many chapters in until then and hopefully get half-way done with season 4 before I go back. Little heads up, I'll have 17 hours worth of classes and one of which will be three hours at night every Tuesday so getting chapters done may take a bit of time when I go back. But until then, I'll get as many in as I can. I'll have another A.N. at the end over a question I have for you guys, but until then, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters or the characters of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.**

After Regina explained that there was no way to get into the castle, the group decided to accept Robin Hood's offer and head to Sherwood Forest. As they did, Snow noticed Nicholas and his sister in deep thought as everyone walked past them.

"You two are thinking about Henry, aren't you?" Snow asked feeling sorry for them.

"We're always thinking about Henry." Regina replied, "But we were also thinking there are tunnels that run under the castle. They may run beneath the spell."

"Which means we can sneak an army inside." David suggested.

"An army would be detected. Too risky and unnecessary." Nicholas argued.

"So how do the tunnels help us?" Snow asked.

"Because it can get Nicholas and I inside. And if we can get inside, then I can lower the shield. Then you can send in your army." Regina explained as a loud screeching filled the air. From above, a winged ape-like creature swooped down at the travelers.

"Incoming!" Neal shouted. As it charged at them, it headed straight for Robin's four-year-old son.

"Papa!" he cried.

"Roland!" Robin shouted as Regina pulled him away.

"Not so fast." Regina said calmly as she waved her hand and turned the creature into a cute stuffed monkey. As Robin rushed over to his son, Regina sweetly approached them, "See? Not so scary. Now you have a new toy."

"Thank you." Robin panted as his worrying went away.

 **OUaT**

In Granny's Inn, Emma, Nicholas, David, a very pregnant Snow, and Regina sat down to discuss what happened to everyone. That is after Regina gave her little brother a somewhat deserved punch to the nose. If it hadn't been for his regeneration ability, he'd have a broken bloody nose thanks to her.

"So let me get this straight," she said angrily, "You've spent the last year hooking up with Emma and being with my son after you up and left us behind in the Enchanted Forest?!"

"No…" Nicholas trailed not meeting her glare, "I've only been here for nine months."

"I don't understand, you said there was no way for us to get back after Storybrooke was destroyed." David recalled, "How did Nicholas manage to get back?"

"I can transport myself to other realms whenever I want." he nonchalantly replied, "It's a gruesome, painful, and borderline horrifying procedure; trust me, you don't ever want to see me do it."

"Moving on," Emma said, "What the hell happened? I mean, besides the obvious?"

"We don't know." Snow replied, "We watched you drive over the town line with Henry."

"Who has no recollection of anyone or anything concerning this place, by the way." Nicholas interjected.

"Regina cast her spell to take us all back to the Enchanted Forest. And then…everything went black."

"And the next thing we remember is waking up in our beds like it was any other morning in Storybrooke." David added.

"Except it clearly wasn't." Snow said pointing to her belly.

"Clearly a year passed." Emma reassured, "I was in New York. I know it did."

"And we don't know where the hell we were. We don't even know if we left Storybrooke." David said.

"Oh, we did alright." Nicholas informed, "As soon as we popped up there, Phillip and Aurora offered to take us in but we all came to an agreement that the best thing to do was stick together. Snow, you offered, well, more like ordered me and Regina to come live with you guys back at our castle. For about three months, everyone seemed to be settled back into their old lives and we were living in peace."

"Then why did you leave?" Regina asked as curiosity replaced her anger.

"…I can't answer that. At least not entirely." he said softly.

"Did you want to see Emma and Henry so badly?" David asked.

"That was one of the reasons." Nicholas nodded, "Look, all I can tell you guys is that I was told that something dangerous was going over to this realm and that they were going to look for Emma. I hunted it down, killed it, and decided to stay. It was my choice. I saw an opportunity, and I took it while I still could. I'm not ashamed of it, and I certainly don't regret it enough to apologize."

"No, we understand completely." Snow said earning a baffled look from her husband, "Emma and Henry mean the world to you and they were right there in front of you. It's only natural that you would want to stay. But how were you able to get Emma's memory back?"

"This, uh…friend of mine contacted me and told me that everyone was back in Storybrooke and that Emma was needed to help you guys solve this new curse. In addition, he told me how to make an elixir with my alchemy using resources here in order to make Emma remember. Unfortunately, I only had enough of the stuff for her."

"Who told you?" David asked.

"I can't answer that."

"How do you know them?" Snow asked.

"I can't answer that." Nicholas repeated.

"Are they going to help us?" Regina asked.

"I can't answer that." Nicholas said gritting his teeth.

"Does this have anything to do with when you disappeared before the curse ended?" Emma asked.

"I can't answer that." Nicholas said in frustration.

"What can you answer then, Nicholas?" she asked.

"…Only what I've been allowed to say." he replied as Leroy and Happy entered the inn.

"What is it?" David asked.

"We lost another one." Leroy informed, "We're down to five now."

"Four, actually." Happy corrected, "Bashful's not answering."

"Wait, what's going on?" Emma asked.

"Thank God you and Flamel are back, sister." Leroy sighed.

"It's not just our memories that are missing." Snow informed, "Ever since we woke up, people have begun disappearing."

"Whoever cursed us is picking us off one by one."

"Who exactly is missing?" Emma asked.

"Aside from those dwarves, we're not sure." David replied, "There's been a lot of confusion over the past few days. It's been hard to keep track of everyone."

"Wait. Neal, is he here?"

"Well, we haven't found him yet." Snow answered.

"So he might have been taken, too."

"Smart money's on yes." Leroy bluntly remarked.

"Leroy!" Snow snapped.

"I'm sure he'll turn up, Emma." Nicholas reassured despite his inner displeasure towards the man, "He always does."

"Some folks are starting to set up camp in the woods at the edge of town. Neal might be there." David informed.

"Or he may not have gotten swept up in the curse at all." Snow added.

"There's only one way we're gonna figure all this out." Emma said rising from her seat, "We need to get your memories back."

"How are we gonna do that?"

"By figuring out who took them in the first place."

 **OUaT**

"What the hell was that thing?" David asked.

"The same kind of monster that attacked us on our journey here." Snow said.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say it looked an awful lot like a monkey." Grumpy remarked.

"A monkey with wings?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes, that's exactly what it is." Regina said putting the pieces together in her head.

"Okay, you're acting like that's normal." Neal observed.

"Actually, it is." Belle replied, "But not here. There's only one land that has creatures like that. I've read about it. Oz."

"Oz?" Snow asked skeptically, "That's a real place?"

"The bookworm's right. It's quite real." Regina explained, "And if our simian friend is any indication, then I think we know exactly who's taking up residence in our castle. The Wicked Witch."

"…Are we talking East or West?" Grumpy asked.

"Does it matter? Neither one sounds good." Snow remarked.

"Well, one, you drop a house on. The other, you toss a bucket of water at." he reminded.

"He does have a point." Nicholas nodded.

"So, Regina, any idea what exactly we're up against, besides green skin and a pointy hat?" David asked, "What did you do to her?"

"This time, nothing. Never met her." she replied trying not to take offense to the accusation.

"Neither have I." Nicholas added, "For once, this doesn't involve a personal vendetta against us."

"Shocking." David commented, "Okay, then, Oz aside, we stick to the original plan: arm up, then attack; assuming you two can get the shield down."

"O, ye of little faith," Nicholas teased, "The last people you need to worry about is us."

"I'm coming with you." Snow decided.

"No, this is a siblings only job." Regina denied.

"Well," Snow scoffed, "It's the Wicked Witch. She has flying monkeys, who knows what else."

"We don't care if the Lollipop Guild is protecting her. We can lower that shield on our own."

"…Then we'll be waiting for you on the other side." she said seeing no point in arguing. And with that, the brother and sister made their way ahead.

 **OUaT**

The following morning at Granny's Diner, Henry sat with Nicholas and Emma in one of the booths as Ruby sat a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon on the table.

"Here you go, Hen…young man." she said catching her slip up.

"With cinnamon. How did you know?" he asked.

"Uh, lucky guess." she lied, "You've got a…cinnamon kind of face."

"Nice cover, Red." Nicholas thought sarcastically as he unfolded his newspaper as David and Snow walked in.

"Oh. Henry, this is David and Mary Margaret." Emma introduced.

"Are you helping my mom with the case?" he asked before whispering to his mother, "Or are they the ones who jumped bail?"

"Don't ask those kind of questions, it's rude." Nicholas lectured as he tapped Henry on the head with his newspaper.

"Ah, no. They're just…old friends." Emma replied.

"Friends? From where?" Henry asked.

"Here." Emma said.

"Phoenix." Snow said trying not to cringe.

"Well, here and Phoenix." Emma lied.

"Right." Snow nodded, "We were cell mates."

"Really?" Henry asked, "What were you in for?"

"…Banditry." she replied. Hearing the answer caused Nicholas to suppress a groan while burying his head in his paper.

"I believe a more modern term for that would be petty theft, Mary Margaret." Nicholas said through the pages.

"Even so, people make mistakes. The important thing is to find a way to keep moving on." she said kindly.

"Did you know my dad?"

"Should we order? Let's order." David suggested with a light chuckle. Before anyone did anything else, the sound of glass breaking replaced the sound of conversation in the room. With her mouth agape and her eyes focused on Henry, Regina stood there in silence.

"Oh, damn." Nicholas whispered.

"…Oh…I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to startle you." she said remembering that Henry didn't remember her.

"Oh, um, t-that's okay." Henry said looking back at his menu.

"Regina." Nicholas said rising from his seat and taking her to the hall, "Sis we need to talk. Come on."

"He looked right through me." she whispered in heartache.

"Sis, I told you, he doesn't remember you. I only had enough to make one dose for Emma."

"Well, then make more, dammit!" Regina hissed trying to keep her voice down.

"I can't do that." he replied as he felt his phone buzz. Seeing that it was Sawyer again, he answered. "What is it?"

"Skinner was out doing patrol when he witnessed one of the new residents being abducted by some kinda monster at the Southwest town line. Boss wants you to go with Swan and the others who'll be hearing about it any minute now." he informed.

"Alright, I'll get on it." Nicholas sighed as he ended the call. Not a moment later, Emma came over and gave him the same information before heading out into the woods. When they arrived, they all saw that it was Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

"This-this is where Little John was taken." Robin said pointing at the spot.

"I wouldn't step over that line if I were you." Emma warned.

"You think he was carried away because he attempted to cross that line?" he asked.

"Makes sense. The dwarves were out checking the line to see if anyone was coming or going when they disappeared." David explained, "What exactly took Little John?"

"We didn't get a good look; some manner of beast with wings."

"Sounds a lot like the monster that attacked us in New York." Nicholas commented to Emma, "Thought it smelled badly familiar."

"We need to find Little John." Robing stressed.

"It may lead us to everyone else who's gone missing." Emma speculated, "David, take him and the rest of his…"

"Merry Men." Robin replied.

"Right, them, and run a search grid and see if you can find any sign of their missing guy."

"What about you?" Nicholas asked.

"I'm not gonna find out who cast this curse by talking to people one by one."

"What are you going to do?" David asked.

"I'm gonna talk to everybody." Emma replied as she headed to her bug.

"I just realized something." Nicholas said, "Has anyone seen Hook? He'd normally be tagging along in order to flirt with Emma by now."

"His ship's still at port so he might be here in town." David shrugged. Later that day, Emma called for an emergency town meeting at town hall. While she did this, Nicholas took the chance to report back to the mansion. Once he finally made it to the conference room, he saw his fellow members waiting in their respective seats.

"So, does anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on?" he asked as he took his seat.

"Aside from what you've already heard from the Charmings, there's not much to report." Mina informed, "We were hoping that you would have some information that could prove useful."

"For starters, you could tell us why the hell you were in New York when we popped back here." Sawyer suggested.

"Alright. Not long after we returned to the Enchanted Forest, we decided to get back to work like we did in the old days."

"So there was a threat waiting for us when we arrived?" Nemo asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. And this one had a certain skin condition." Nicholas replied.

"And what exactly does that mean?" Skinner asked.

 **OUaT**

Night fell not long after Regina and Nicholas made their way to the secret entrance. With a smirk and wave of her hands, Regina lifted the massive bolder which covered the entrance and tossed it aside. As she did, they both spotted Robin staring at the rock while holding a torch in his hand.

"No." Regina said flatly.

"No what?" he asked.

"You're not."

"Not coming along? I do believe I am." he countered, "I can help."

"We didn't ask for help."

"Well, that doesn't mean you won't need it. That flying monkey back there wasn't after my son. It was coming after you two."

"Oh?" Nicholas asked, "What makes you think that?"

"The woods are my home. I've seen many a hunter stalk its prey, and that beast was coming for the two of you. Roland just happened to be standing in between."

"And? What's your point?" he asked.

"That's the second time your sister has been attacked. The Wicked Witch wants either one of you or both of you dead."

"If that's the case, I would love to see her try to kill me." Nicholas said with a smirk, "Quite frankly, you honestly think you can stop her if she tries to hurt us?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." shrugged Robin, "But I have to try. You see, despite the fact that none of us likes it, I owe Her Majesty a debt."

"Why is that?" Regina asked.

"Even though that winged beast wasn't after Roland, he still could have hurt my son. You saved him." he said sincerely.

"Hm. Who knew a thief had honor?" Regina asked feeling touched.

"Who knew an evil queen had a soft spot for children?" Robin playfully retorted.

"Just don't get in our way." Nicholas warned.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Please, ladies first." he insisted as they all went down the tunnel. "So where are we headed?"

"There's a fire in the courtyard that powers her spell. As long as it burns, the shield will stay up." Regina explained.

"Then we simply need to put it out." Robin nodded.

"I simply need to put it out." she corrected before taking the lead.

"Don't take it personal." Nicholas muttered, "Regina's always been a bit of a control freak. Watch your step."

Seeing the rigged spikes on the walls, Robin gave a remark, "Nice little surprise."

"You'd be surprised if you saw what I originally had in mind for setting up this trap." Nicholas commented as they snuck past the triggered tiles.

"It's meant to keep people like you out." Regina added.

"People like me?" Robin asked.

"Thieves."

"Ah, yes. True." he chuckled, "But we aren't all bad, you know."

"Not when you tell yourself you're stealing from the rich to give to the poor." she commented, "I may have done bad things in my life, but at least I own it."

"I own my mistakes, too." Robin defended, "I hope you didn't let me come with you just so you can walk me into one of these traps. Roland's already lost his mother. I would hate for him to lose his father, too."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that doesn't happen." Nicholas reassured, "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that growing up without your family sucks."

"So, Roland's mother," Regina said wanting to avoid the topic of her brother's past, "What happened to her?"

"After our boy was born, I…inadvertently put her in harm's way during a job. It was my fault. Like I said, I own my mistakes."

"Don't we all?" Nicholas asked sadly thinking of his own.

"That's not possible." Regina said snapping Nicholas's attention back.

"What's wrong?" asked Robin.

"That door, it's open."

"Perhaps you left it unlocked." he offered.

"I sealed it with blood magic. The only people who can open it are me and Nicholas." she argued.

"Well, I sure as hell didn't open it." Nicholas defended.

"Clearly someone else can." Robin pointed out as they entered the Regina's heart room, "It appears the Wicked Witch is a formidable foe. What exactly was this place? Must have been important for you to seal it by blood."

"A crypt. Isn't that obvious?" Regina asked.

"Yes. What I meant was, who was it built for?"

"Our mother." Nicholas replied sadly, "Like you, we've lost people we care about; more than either of us would like to admit."

"Including a child?" Robin asked.

"What do you know about that?" Regina snapped.

"I saw the way you grabbed Roland back there. Clearly, you have the touch of being parents."

"…We do." Regina exhaled.

"He's not with us on this trek. What happened to him?"

"He's not dead, if that's what you think. He's…he's just lost to us forever."

"If the Wicked Witch is powerful enough to break blood magic, perhaps we should reconsider this plan." Robin suggested.

"I don't care how powerful this witch is. I have to go through with this plan." Regina snapped as they made it to her old lounge, "Make yourself useful. Keep watch."

As Robin looked around the room, he spotted the queen rummage through a box filled with magical ingredients. "What is that?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." she said not looking up as the archer readied his bow.

"I won't ask you again. What is that?"

"You know, you just asked her again." Nicholas dryly remarked as Regina noticed the drawn weapon.

"How dare you threaten me in my own castle?!" Regina snarled as she began to choke Robin.

"Just like old times." Nicholas joked.

"Even if you choke the life out of me, this arrow will still leave my bow. And trust me, I never miss. Now what manner of dark potion are you making?" Robin demanded.

Seeing his sister still choking the man, Nicholas intervened. "That's enough; release him, Regina!" he barked. Sure enough, she relented.

"A sleeping curse." she answered.

"The kind you used on Snow White?" he asked.

"That spell came from Maleficent. I finally learned how to make one of my own."

"This spell, this is why you wanted to come to the castle?"

"Ingredients like these are hard to come by; especially when you have Snow White breathing down your neck every second of the day." Regina dryly replied.

"That was your plan?" Robin asked, "To use it on the Witch?"

"The Witch?" she asked, "I don't care about her. I'll leave Nicholas to deal with her."

"Oh, lucky me." he said sarcastically.

"Then who do you plan to use it on?" Robin asked.

"Don't worry. No one you'll miss." she said as she dipped a needle into the vial, "No one anyone will miss."

"No one but me." Nicholas sadly muttered.

"…This is about your son, isn't it? I can't let you do this." Robin argued.

"Then it's a good thing you don't have a say in the matter." she said as she used her magic to keep him stuck to the floor.

"I know how you feel, Regina." he reasoned.

"I doubt that."

"When I lost my wife, I felt there was no reason to go on. But then I found one, my son."

"That's where you and I are different. I already lost Henry."

"That doesn't mean you don't have a reason. Think of your brother!" he begged, "Nicholas, are you honestly going to let her go through with this?"

"If I had it my way, I'd be joining her, Locksley. But unfortunately, magic doesn't do anything but cause me agonizing pain." he replied, "You see, I didn't just lose my nephew, I lost the woman I love, too."

"So you're just going to give up?!"

"This isn't an end." Regina retorted, "It's an eternal middle. This curse can be broken by the only true love in my life. And the only reason I would even want to wake. My son."

"And if you knew what was in store in the upcoming year, you'd want to be asleep, too." Nicholas warned.

"Both of you, listen to me, this is a mistake." Robin stressed.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my word." Regina assured, "I'll lower the protection spell so that Snow and Charming can be victorious. But then…then I go to sleep."

"And I get back work." Nicholas thought as they headed to the courtyard. As they approached the beam of green light shooting from the pyre, Regina effortlessly put it out in a matter of seconds.

"Are you sure about this, Regina?" Nicholas hesitantly asked as they sat on a stone bench.

"What's left for me, Nicholas?" she asked, "Henry was all I had. Without him…my life is empty."

"What about me? You still have me, don't you?" he asked, "I've stood by you through it all. Do I not also have your love?"

With her heart feeling heavy, Regina rested her head on her beloved brother's shoulders while choking on her words. "You have my love, Abba. But my life will always be empty without Henry. Who knows? Maybe one day he'll find us and we can be a family again."

"I don't think we'll ever be so lucky." he whispered as he put his arm around her. Just as Regina was about to prick her finger, the two of them heard another voice from behind.

"You weren't even going to say 'hello' first? That's not exactly the welcome I was expecting. What does a witch have to do to get your attention?"

They both turned and saw the Wicked Witch in all her green and black glory glare at them before poofing the needle to her hand.

"What's the matter? Has life got you down?" she taunted.

"None of your business." Regina snapped as she and Nicholas rose to their feet on the defensive side.

"The two of you really don't know who I am, do you?"

"Oh, we know exactly who you are; the Wicked Witch." Nicholas replied with a confident smirk as they all slowly paced in a circle.

"Is that all?"

"We're not that interested." Regina said trying to take the needle only to see it poof away in green smoke.

"Please, allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Zelena."

"That's my dress." Regina finally realized.

"Hm. I had to take it in a little at the hips, but looks better on me, don't you think?" Zelena taunted.

"I think you never should have left Oz." she retorted.

"You can have your castle back if you want it that badly. I was just trying it on for size. Besides, I've already seen everything worth seeing. Your closet, your gardens, those fancy scribbles all over the floors, your crypt."

"Yes, how did you break the blood lock?" Nicholas asked, "I may not know much about magic, but I do know that no one can break that."

"I didn't break it." Zelena replied.

"The door was open. No one's that powerful." Regina argued.

"Cora really never told either of you?" she asked.

"Told us what?" Nicholas asked.

"The truth about us. All three of us."

"What are you talking about?" Regina chuckled, "And how do you know our mother?"

"The same way you and Nicholas do." Zelena replied as she got close to their faces, "I'm your sister. Actually, half-sister, but details, details."

"That's not possible." Regina denied, "You're…green."

"And you're rude." Zelena sneered, "Cora had me first, before she wormed her way into the dregs of royalty. You know I'm telling the truth. How else could I have broken the door to the crypt?"

"She has a point." Nicholas thought as he ran through any possibilities for how this witch could be wrong or lying.

"Our mother gave me up and sent me away, but you two, she kept; more or less." she continued with a smirk directed at Nicholas.

"Watch it, moss face." he growled as his hand sparked with red lightning.

"It's true isn't it?" she asked, "She abandoned me, lost you, and gave Regina here everything."

"Everything she wanted." Regina countered, "If what you're saying is true, then you were lucky to escape her."

"Enough with the martyr complex, Regina." Zelena said in annoyance, "Try growing up without a mother. Try living in Oz, knowing that no one thought you were good enough-not your mother and not the only man that all our paths crossed. Rumplestiltskin."

"You knew Rumplestiltskin?" Regina asked becoming intrigued while Nicholas pulled out his pipe and struck a match.

"Well, did you think you were his only student?" Zelena asked.

"Let me guess, you're mad because he chose me to cast his curse?" she asked.

"Judging by the look on her face, I'd say that's a yes." Nicholas mocked as he blew out smoke.

"Well, get over it." Regina shot down, "It wasn't everything it was cracked up to be."

"Anything would have been better than the life I had." Zelena hissed, "But despite my shortcomings, I made something of myself, dears. And I didn't need Cora or Rumplestiltskin or some stone logged in my chest, either."

"Ah, so you know about the Philosopher's Stone?" Nicholas asked impressed, "In any case, it's too bad that neither of them are around to see how well you've turned out. They're both dead."

"…That's alright." Zelena said trying to swallow the news, "The only ones I need alive are you two."

"Really? Why is that?" Regina asked.

"Because I'm going to take everything away from you."

"Too late." they both replied.

"We've already lost everything that matters." Regina informed.

"No, Regina, you and Nicholas haven't lost anything yet." Zelena denied.

"So you are going to kill us?" Nicholas asked with a scoff.

"No. That's too easy. For me to get what I want, I need you to suffer." she began to explain, "You see, what's in store for me is all my dreams being realized. But for you two? Well…it's a fate worse than death."

"Go ahead." Regina dared as she and Nicholas stood their ground, "Bring it, greenie."

"Indeed I will." Zelena softly threatened as she summoned a broom in her hand, "See you soon, sis. Brother dear."

And with a wicked laugh, the newly discovered child of Cora flew off into the night. Not a moment later, Nicholas and Regina went back inside and freed Robin from the floor as they went over to their desks.

"You didn't go through with it." Robin stated.

"You were right." Regina admitted, "The sleeping curse wasn't the answer. As you said, I just needed to find something to live for; besides my brother, of course.

"And you found it?" Robin asked with a smile, "What?"

"The one thing I haven't had in a very long time." Regina said with a grin she hadn't used since the last time she was in this realm, "Someone to destroy."

 **OUaT**

"And that's what happened." Nicholas said after he finished explaining.

"Let me get this straight," Quartermain said, "You have another sister?"

"Yes." Nicholas calmly nodded.

"And she's the bloody Wicked Witch of the West?"

"Again, yes."

"And she is undoubtedly the one who cast this curse?"

"Now that, I don't know." Nicholas replied, "Regina definitely wasn't the one who cast it this time, though. No one she truly loved was there with her after I left. I can assure you. That position has only belonged to me and Henry ever since we came here the first time."

"Do you think it might be possible that this Zelena woman could have cast this curse then?" Mina asked.

"I'm not sure. She didn't exactly strike me as someone with a lot of love in her life." he shrugged.

"If she did, you think she was desperate enough to throw it away over revenge?" Sawyer asked.

"Regina did." Nicholas reminded, "She had to kill our own father in order to cast the curse. If Zelena did do it, I wouldn't put it past her to go as far as killing the thing she loved most in order to get here and bring everyone else along for the ride."

"I think a better question would be, why did she do it anyway?" Skinner asked, "I mean, why bother bringing us back just so she could get back at your sister?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Maybe she found out I came over here and cast the curse because she knew I would find out and come back? I highly doubt that it's only Regina she's holding a grudge against."

"Which is surprising given your rather unpleasant childhood." Nemo remarked, "Speaking of which, what was the reason behind your journey here?"

"Let's just say that I've brought the number down to six from seven and leave it at that for now." Nicholas hinted, "We're looking at only about less than eight months left before the Promised Day comes. Fortunately, with Rumple gone, he's only got me lined up as a sacrifice."

"And he won't be able to do anything unless he has five?" Quartermain asked.

"Nope, he needs me and four others that meet the criteria."

"Well," he sighed while stroking his beard, "I suppose that and the death of one of his 'children' is a good start in our counter attack. Either way, we need to focus on finding out if this witch did cast the curse and if she's anywhere in town."

"Hopefully, nothing has changed to make this harder than it should be." Nicholas commented.

"How's that?" Sawyer asked.

"If Zelena did cast this curse, then this may be a completely different Storybrooke than before; Robin Hood and his Merry Men are proof of that. The curse creates whatever the caster wants in accordance to whatever suits this realm and their desires. For all we know, this town could have a crap load of twists and surprises that can give her the advantage. Our best course of action right now is to surveillance the town and mark down any and all changes made compared to last time."

"It would also be safe to inspect the manor in case the witch has found out about us and planted anything that shouldn't belong here. We were only lucky that Regina never learned of our presence here, and I, for one, would like to keep it that way until the time comes." Mina suggested.

"Agreed." Quartermain nodded, "Skinner, you and Sawyer scope out the town for anything new and report back in twenty-four hours."

"Right then." Skinner nodded.

"Got it, boss." Sawyer added.

"Nemo, have your best men stationed throughout town in disguise to keep an eye on things. I don't want any loose ends."

"It shall be done." Nemo said with respect.

"Doctor," he said to Mina, "I want you to try and recreate more of the serum we had Flamel make; we need at least someone to remember what the hell happened."

"I'll see what I can do." she replied.

"What about me, boss?" Nicholas asked.

"Stick with Swan and the others. Only report to us if absolutely necessary. We nearly slipped up dangerously last year after the Cora and Neverland incidents and I do not want any more suspicion directed at any of us." he ordered.

"Yeah," Nicholas scoffed, "Last thing I need is the director breathing down my neck and blaming me because the current threat is another member of my family. I imagine he's still pissed at me over last year and that I didn't come back after I completed my mission in New York."

"In your defense, he didn't say to report back immediately, did he?" Sawyer asked.

"Nope." Nicholas replied shaking his head as he checked his watch, "I better get going. It's getting late and Emma's probably done with trying to find our perp."

"Very well," Quartermain nodded as they all rose from their seats, "You all have your tasks, now get to it."

After transporting himself back to the Chamings' loft, Nicholas caught up with Emma and Regina standing behind the door to the loft.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea." Regina said to Emma.

"Is what not a good idea?" he asked.

"Where have you been all day?" Emma asked.

"I was making sure no one else was getting abducted by whatever the hell took Little John and making sure my inventions were still here." he replied, "Again, what isn't a good idea?"

"Emma thinks it would be best for me to be 'introduced' to Henry." Regina replied.

"I don't see any harm in it." he shrugged, "I mean, as long as we're here you might as well try to reconnect with him until we can find a way to get his memories back."

"I don't know…"

"Come on, what's the harm?" Nicholas asked, "Here, I'll introduce you to him and you go from there."

"It'll be fine." Emma said as she opened the door. On the couch, Henry was busy concentrating on his video game, "Hey. How was your day?" she asked him.

"Good." he replied putting the game away, "Storybrooke is a weird place, but cool. Did you know there's a library inside a clock tower?"

"I do. I've been there before." she replied, "Come here. There's someone Nicholas and I want you to meet."

"Henry, I would like to introduce you to Mayor Regina Mills, my sister." Nicholas introduced, "I've told her a lot about you and she wanted to meet you."

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no." Regina assured gently, "No, nothing's wrong. Like Nicholas said, he and you mother have told me a lot about you. I hear you like school and that you're good at English."

"Why'd they tell you all this?" Henry asked in confusion.

"Because they couldn't be prouder of you. Uh, while you're in town, I was thinking maybe I can give you a tour sometime you know, show you around. Maybe we can even stop for ice cream." she offered.

"Yeah. I'd like that." Henry smiled, "So, um, it was nice meeting you."

As Regina was about to go in for a hug, Henry stuck out his hand for a handshake. Regina quickly changed her approach and shook before Henry went off to enjoy his game.

"How was that? You okay?" Emma asked.

"It was a start." she replied. Just then, David barged in with a worried look on his face.

"We need to talk." he said.

"Outside." Emma replied as all five adults went to the hall.

"They're being turned into flying monkeys?!" Snow whispered, "Do you think that's what happened to the missing dwarves, too?"

"It would explain why you haven't found any trace of them." Nicholas speculated.

"And Neal?" Emma asked.

"No sign of him either." David replied.

"The person who escaped our trap disappeared in a cloud of green smoke. And now there are flying monkeys in this town?" Regina asked, "I think we know exactly who cursed us."

"The Wicked Witch of the West." Emma asked thinking it was a joke. Seeing everyone's expressions, she realized it wasn't. "Seriously? She's real, too?"

"Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming who's also dating an immortal alchemist." Nicholas remarked.

"I don't get it. It's not like we're in Kansas. Why would the Wicked Witch of the West want to come to Storybrooke?" Emma asked.

In the outer part of town in a large field, a lone house new to Storybrooke could be spotted. Zelena, no longer green, walked from it to a storm cellar and opened the door with a wave of her hand while holding a tray of food in the other. As she approached a cage in the cellar, she looked at it with a taunting smile.

"Hungry?" she asked as she sat the tray down. As she did, a hand grabbed her wrist in anger. Through the wire, Rumplestiltskin, alive and looking crazed, glared and growled at her like an animal.

"You never should have brought me back." he said. Zelena simply chuckled and kicked the tray to him.

"Eat up." she said, "We've got work to do."

As she left, Rumple picked up his food and inspected it curiously before he began to softly sing to himself. "You feed the madness, and it feeds on you. You feed the madness, and it feeds on you. You feed the madness, and it feeds on you."

And then, for the first time in thirty years, he gave the same distinct insane giggle he used to back in the Enchanted Forest. Mad as all hell.

 **Hope you guys liked that. Now for my question.**

 **In the future, I will be doing two more bonus sagas I have in mind for this story and they will involve the league immensely. Now while I have several new members in mind, there are some spots that I need filled and I'm not sure who would be the best for them.**

 **If anyone has any characters in mind, let me know via pm or review please. I would prefer pm because that way I'll be able to let you know if I have already picked that character and have a position for them. That being said, I won't be saying who I have in store on any A.N. in the future because I want to keep them a secret.**

 **You can choose any character from classic novels, or characters from shows or movies set in older time frames (the latest being around the end of the nineteenth century). This includes mythology and history if you would like. Note that I am only looking for six to seven characters and they can be either heroes or villains.**

 **Sorry for those of you who would prefer that I didn't do this, but I find that it will be good for Nicholas's part in the story and I don't want to simply make this a retell of the show with my OC making comments and actions that don't make any difference. I like to spice things up and these sagas will be filled with action, drama, comedy and tragedy; especially action and tragedy.**

 **Oh, and let me know who you would like the character you've chosen to be played by, too. That will be a great help.**

 **Thanks and stay tuned for more!**


	31. Quiet Minds

**Alright, here's another exciting chapter of The Evil Queen's Brother! In case you guys have any more ideas for new members of the league, I am open to hearing them. I don't really have a set date on when I will stop accepting them like I did with my previous suggestions so feel free to let me know whenever you like.**

 **In any case, as you know by now, I hope you enjoy this and let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT its characters or the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.**

The next morning in the loft, everyone thought over their next plan of attack against the newest threat to Storybrooke.

"So now that we know who we're dealing with, how do we find this Wicked Witch?" David asked.

"See if anyone in town's noticed a woman with green skin?" Emma dryly joked.

"We're cursed in Storybrooke. She'll look like any one of us." Regina reminded.

"Perhaps we should start somewhere we know she's been?" Nicholas suggest, "Regina's office, maybe?"

"I went over it with a fine-toothed comb, she left no trace." she replied.

"But you were combing for magic. Maybe there's physical evidence that you missed." Emma pointed out.

"Good idea. We'll track her." said David.

"If you want to waste your time playing Nancy Drew, be my guest. But we can't let Henry wander around alone with that witch and her flying monkeys out there." Regina stressed.

"Especially when one of those flying monkeys could turn out to be his father." Nicholas dryly remarked, "But Regina does have a point, someone does need to keep an eye on him in case anything does happen."

"If you need anything, call me." she said as she was about to leave.

"Just remember, he thinks we're here because I'm on a case." Emma reminded.

"Well, look who's gotten good at lying. Picked that up from my brother, did you?" Regina teased.

"Just don't let anyone slip up. As far as Henry knows, you're just Madam Mayor and my boyfriend's sister, nothing else." Emma gently reminded.

"I'm well aware of how Henry sees me." she retorted.

As they went their separate ways, Nicholas spotted Hook talking to a couple of people with a picture in his hand outside Regina's office. "Is that Hook?" he asked.

"I'll be damned, it is." David sighed.

"Wonder what he's up to." Emma said.

"You guys head on up to the office and look for evidence. I'll go have a talk with him." Nicholas offered.

"Why you?" David asked.

"Because if you go, you'll probably punch him and if Emma goes, he'll probably just flirt with her." he replied.

"Fair enough." David nodded as they went inside.

"Ahoy, Cap'n." Nicholas called to the pirate.

"Nicholas, mate, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Better question, what are you doing here with a poorly drawn picture of what I assume is a guy?" Nicholas asked as he pointed at the paper.

"Oh, that." he said, "When I awoke on my ship days ago, I found that I had an unexpected guest onboard."

"And who might that be?"

"A…certain mermaid by the name of Ariel. If you recall, she assisted us back in Neverland by retrieving Pandora's Box." Hook replied.

"So what's with the drawing?"

"Well, it turns out that the lady's heart belongs to a Prince Eric that was here during the last curse and despite what most people think of me, I happen to be a gentleman and offered to help her find him."

"You don't sound exactly happy about it." Nicholas pointed out.

"…Don't know what you're implying, mate." Hook muttered.

"Hook, come on," Nicholas sighed, "If you have feelings for her, just admit it. There's no shame in a man falling in love."

"True but I'm not in love, Flamel." he retorted with an annoyed smile.

"Alright, fine. You're not in love." Nicholas relented with his hands up, "I take it you've heard the news about our newest threat?"

"No, who are we dealing with now?"

"Ever hear of the Wicked Witch of the West?" he asked.

"Green skin, dressed in black, hails from Oz?" Hook asked.

"That's the one." Nicholas nodded.

"Aye, I've heard of her. You think she's the one who cursed us?"

"Maybe, regardless of that, she's definitely behind the disappearances in town. It's possible that this Eric guy has been taken, too. We could use an extra hand or hook to help us out. You in?"

"…I won't have to follow all of the prince's orders?" he asked.

"Not unless they're extremely important."

"And I'll be able to look for Eric as I help?"

"You may actually come across him. The flying monkeys that are taking people are actually people transformed by the Witch's magic." Nicholas replied.

"…Alright. I'm in." he nodded.

"Excellent," Nicholas said shaking his hand, "Welcome back to the team, Hook."

With the pirate officially back in business with the self-appointed leaders of the town, he and Nicholas went to meet with the others in the office. When they arrived, they saw Emma and David scoping everything in sight.

"Any luck?" Nicholas asked before sniffing the air.

"Not yet." Emma replied.

"What's he doing here?" David asked.

"Our humble alchemist was kind enough to offer me my old position with working you again, mate." Hook replied.

"I thought you buried the hatchet with him after he saved your ass back in Neverland?" Nicholas asked as he inspected the ground.

"We did," David replied, "All I asked was why is he here."

"It's alright, mate." Hook waved off, "What exactly are we looking for?"

"The witch broke in last night and tore this place apart when we told everyone that Regina was trying to create a memory potion like what Nicholas used on me." Emma replied, "Hopefully, she left something behind to indicate where she might be hiding."

"And as luck would have it, she did." Nicholas said as he dragged his finger over traces of red on the floor and licked it.

"Is that blood?" Emma asked.

"No," Nicholas denied as he savored the taste, "It's holly berry. There's a lot of holly bushes out in the Northwest corner in the woods; not too far from the toll bridge."

"Good. We can start there." David nodded before pulling out his phone to read a text.

"Everything okay?" Emma asked.

"Mary Margaret needs me to come back to the loft. We're getting a midwife, and she wants to meet the both of us." he explained.

"A bit demanding, isn't she?" Hook asked, "I meant the midwife."

"It's fine. Go." Emma urged.

"No. We just got on track here." David argued.

"And we've got it covered. She needs you."

"Yeah, just meet us when you get down." Nicholas nodded.

"Alright." he reluctantly nodded.

As the day went on, Emma, Hook and Nicholas set off into the woods in search of the witch's lair. Eventually, they made it through the woods, they spotted a lone little house in the middle of a field.

"A farmhouse." sighed Emma, "You have to appreciate the irony."

"Let's check it out." Nicholas suggested as he walked up the hill.

"There's definitely someone living here. Looks empty right now, though." Emma whispered as they snuck around the porch.

"Why are we whispering?" Hook asked.

"Because good hideouts always look empty. Trust me. I spent a lot of time tracking down people who don't want to be found. I know about hiding out." she explained.

"I also know that my nose never fails me, and there's nobody here, Emma." Nicholas whispered earning a look from his girlfriend. She then spotted an old storm cellar past the fence and headed over to it. With her gun pulled out, she was ready to open it until Hook stopped her.

"Who, wait, wait, wait. It's one thing walking around a deserted farmhouse. It's quite another descending into a one-way cellar with no way out."

"Scared?" she teased.

"There's a difference between fear and strategy." he sighed, "We know she's got flying monstrosities. Who knows what's down there. If this witch is as powerful as we think, we could use some magical backup, unless you've been practicing in New York City?"

"What, my alchemy's not good enough?" Nicholas asked.

"Okay, I'll call Regina, have her drop Henry at Granny's." Emma sighed, "I'd like to see those flying monstrosities try to get past her crossbow."

"And her lunch special." the boys remarked as Emma noticed a missed call.

"It's David." she said before listening to the message.

"What is it?" Nicholas asked.

"He said he thinks he's found the Wicked Witch and is following her where the trail starts." she said, "Come on, we're heading over there."

"Never a dull moment." Nicholas muttered as they headed back to the car. When they arrived with Regina to give them back up, they saw David on his knees panting.

"David, are you okay?" Emma asked as she ran to him.

"Yeah." he nodded.

"Well, where is she?" Regina asked.

"It wasn't her." he said getting to his feet.

"Then who was it?" Hook asked, "You look whiter than a fresh sail."

"Myself." he said.

"Come again?" Nicholas asked.

"It's the witch. She's toying with us." Regina informed.

"Did you guys find where she might be hiding?" David asked.

"A farmhouse and we think it's hers." Nicholas nodded.

"Let's end this." David spat, "Let's send that witch back to Oz."

"Was there any particular reason she would send a demon who looks like you?" Nicholas asked as they headed to the farmhouse.

"No idea. It was just there, wearing my face, harping on my deepest fears." he said.

"It knew your deepest fears?" Regina asked coming to a stop.

"Yeah, things I never told anyone, not even Mary Margaret." David nodded, "It wasn't until I admitted them that I wasn't able to defeat it by stabbing it with the hilt of my sword."

"Where is it, your sword?"

"That's the strange part. After I killed it, the hilt-it dissapeard."

"Well, what's that mean, then?" Hook asked.

"When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out. When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears, your courage transferred into it." Regina explained.

"Then why'd it disappear?" David asked.

"It didn't disappear. She took it."

"Hang on. The Wicked Witch stole his courage?" Emma asked.

"Well, a symbol of it, at least. And symbols can be powerful totems." Regina said with a worrisome look.

Once they returned to the farmhouse, the noticed the lock on the storm cellar had been broken. "That lock, it wasn't busted before." Emma pointed out before David opened the door.

"So far, so good." Hook remarked.

"Everyone, stay alert. Come on." Emma said with her gun ready as they went below.

"There's definitely dark magic here. Can you feel it?" Regina asked.

"I don't know. Maybe." said Emma, "Whatever I feel, it's not good. What would the Wicked Witch keep in a cage, monkeys?"

"No, not monkeys." David whispered as he turned on the light. Once it came on, everyone paled at what was inside; a spinning wheel with straw all over the floor. "Now, how many people do we know who can spin straw into gold?"

"Rumplestiltskin." Emma muttered.

The next morning after a long evening of searching, the Charmings, pirate, and Mills siblings gathered to discuss their next course of action at the diner.

"Is there any sign of our quarry?" Hook asked as Emma entered with Nicholas.

"We went all over that farmhouse and the land around it; nothing." Emma huffed.

"Well, now that the sun's up, we should hit every place Gold might go. His house, his shop, his cabin." David listed.

"Yeah, 'cause dead men love vacation homes." Nicholas remarked.

"Can someone explain to me how this is possible?" Emma asked frantically, "We all saw Gold. He-"

"Disappeared into nothingness?" Snow asked, "I know."

"I might have an inkling." Nicholas mentioned, "When we went back to the Enchanted Forest, Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back."

"What, how?" David asked.

"He didn't know how. He just…missed his family. I warned him that he was playing in matters better left alone. But he clearly seemed desperate enough to find a way to return here. He believed that bringing his father back was the key."

"Well, if that was his plan, then obviously something went wrong, because while Gold might be alive and kicking, Neal is-he's-we don't know what he is. We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke." Emma said in worry, "No one's seen him since this new curse."

"With all due respect," interjected Regina, "We have bigger issues right now than who brought Gold back. The fact that he was in the Wicked Witch's basement, for one. I want to know what the hell she was cooking up with him."

"Well, the best way to find that out would be to ask Gold, right?" Snow asked.

"He could tell us who the witch is; maybe how to track her down." David speculated.

"I'm gonna head back to that farmhouse. It's possible this witch left behind some trace of potion or special ingredient." Regina informed.

"Have at it. Just be careful." Emma cautioned.

"Well, she's the one who needs to be careful. She invaded my space. When I return the favor, I'm not pulling any punches." retorted the mayor as she headed out.

"Don't underestimate our sister, Regina. She is not to be taken lightly." Nicholas thought as he watched his sibling leave.

As the day and the hunt for Gold went on, Hook was left with Belle to protect her while she searched for anything that could solve how the dark one was brought back to life. Afterwards, Emma went back to the inn to check on Henry and keep him away from danger by having him go fishing with the dwarves; although, he appeared to be growing suspicious to what was going on around him.

While Nicholas waited for his girlfriend, he felt that it was better for the talk to be between just mother and son, he received a call from Belle with urgent news. Neal had collapsed on the pawn shop's floor. Evidently, Emma received the same message and bolted out of the inn and ran to her car and drove with Nicholas to the hospital.

"Neal, you're here." Emma said as she and Nicholas came into the room, "What happened?"

"I…don't know." he stuttered, "I-I remember seeing the yellow bug cross the town line, and next thing I know, I'm running around a forest back in Storybrooke, where, apparently, there's been a whole lot going on."

"Are you going to tell him, or shall I?" Hook asked Emma.

"Tell me what?" Neal asked looking at them.

"We believe your crusty skinned father is alive and kicking." Nicholas said bluntly.

"He's back?" he asked in shock, "I just watched him die. What do you mean he's back?"

"Take it easy." Emma said before noticing a strange symbol burned into the palm of his left hand, "What the hell is that?"

"No idea." he said as Emma took a picture of it.

"Belle, can you do some more research?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure. Absolutely." she nodded.

"Hey guys," Neal said, "Can-can we have a minute?"

"Yeah, of course." David nodded while Nicholas stiffened.

"Nicholas?" Hook asked seeing the alchemist's expression, "Come on, mate."

"Fine." he muttered as they left.

"Nicholas, is everything alright?" David asked as they all went outside.

"Fine, everything's fine." he spat as he pulled out a cigar.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, mate, but don't you only smoke those when you're angry?" Hook asked.

"You're not wrong, but I'm not angry." Nicholas said as he struck a match, "I'm pissed."

"Why?" Belle asked in concern.

"Why?" Nicholas asked hotly, "Well, let's see. My girlfriend's ex-lover and father of her child/my nephew has once again managed to pop back into her life with every intention of trying to win her back even though he most certainly doesn't deserve her."

"Don't you think you're being a bit paranoid?" David asked with a small smirk.

"Am I?!" he asked, "It was clear as day that he had every intention of trying to get back together with her the last time he showed up."

"Yeah, and she chose you." David retorted, "Between him, you and Hook, she chose you. And from what I've seen, she's pretty happy."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you." he spat through his cigar, "You and Mary Margaret were doing everything in your power to convince her to go back to Neal because you thought he was her true love. News flash, your highness, if that were the case, the son of a bitch wouldn't have abandoned her because he was afraid of his past catching up to him."

"We were just looking out for our daughter, Nicholas." David said gently as he placed a hand on the alchemist's shoulder. With an angry look on his face, Nicholas looked at the hand in rage and used his alchemy to send a shock through his shoulder to the prince's hand.

"What was that for?!" he asked.

"For thinking you could get all chummy with me after all that's happened." Nicholas growled as he let out smoke, "I don't know when you thought everything was okay between us, but let me tell you now that it isn't. I want to make this quite clear, Nolan. We are not friends. Okay? You and your wife made that quite clear when you threw me under the bus, turned everyone in town against me and used me to escape my sister's vendetta back in the Enchanted Forest."

Hearing all the wrongdoings he and his wife had done made David become quite in guilt. After everything that happened in Neverland and now dealing with the witch, he had forgotten how mistreated Nicholas was in the previous year.

In his anger, Nicholas felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw he received a text from Skinner.

"I found Gold in the woods. Quartermain says to smell him out and bring him back." it read.

"Hey," Emma said coming out to meet with them, "Everything okay?"

"Never better." Nicholas lied, "I think I might have caught a whiff of Gold's scent. It's coming from the woods."

"Great, let's head out there and find him." she said.

After about an hour of searching, Emma and Nicholas discovered the pawn shop owner clutching his head in pain on the ground.

"Gold, you alright?" Emma asked as they approached him.

"No. No, no, no, not alright!" he groaned, "Not alright! It's-I can't quiet the voices."

"We know that you were held captive by the witch. Do you know where she is?" Emma asked gently.

"Yeah." he nodded through his painful panting, "She's-aah! There's no room! No room! There's too many voices! Too many voices!"

"We got to get him out of here." Nicholas said just before the sound of a monkey's screeching filled the air. From above, a flying monkey tried to swoop down and take gold, but Nicholas was able to clip its wing with his claws and send it to the ground. As this happened, Gold made a break for it.

"Gold!" Emma shouted.

"He's getting away!" Nicholas yelled as he extended his claws to strike the monkey, "I'll hold it off! Go get him!"

As Emma left, Nicholas dropped his expression and glared at the monster before him. "No more holding back." he growled.

He then pounced on the creature and brutally began to break its bones and pound his fists into it. As its shrieks of pain began to die down, Nicholas reared his hand back and slammed it into the beast's chest deconstructing it into ashes.

"Disgusting creature." he said in disgust before catching up with Emma. As he did, his phone began to buzz with a call from Mina. "What is it?" he asked while trying to find his girlfriend.

"I was able to analyze the symbol in that picture you sent us." she said in her usual calm tone.

"And?" he asked coming to a stop, "What did you find?"

"It's the symbol of the key of the dark one." she said, "It's said to be the key that opens the vault of the dark one and the only thing capable of bringing the dark one back to life; however, it comes with a price."

"I don't like where this is going."

"You shouldn't." Mina said, "The rule is quite clear: a life for a life."

"Equivalent exchange." Nicholas whispered, "But that doesn't make any sense. I saw Neal in the hospital and just saw Gold run off with Emma at his tail. If the price is what you say, one of them ought to be dead."

"We thought that as well, until the thought of a certain friend of ours popped into my head." Mina replied, "I believe you can put the pieces together from here."

"Indeed I can." he said as he hung up and ran towards the sound of Neal screaming. When he arrived, he saw Neal groaning in pain with Emma kneeling next to him.

"Neal, what did you do?" Emma asked in concern. She undoubtedly heard the same information Nicholas did from Belle. As he cried out in pain, his face seemed to shift between his own and Gold's.

"Oh, cripes, he actually did it." Nicholas whispered.

"I think-I think Gold is inside you." Emma said, "I think that's how you're still alive."

"I hear my father's voice in my head. He's in there. He's in me." Neal cried in pain.

"He said there was no room. He meant you." Nicholas realized.

"I need you to help me, Emma. Use your magic. Separate me and my father." he pleaded.

"Are you kidding? Then you'll die." Emma said.

"I know, but you need my dad more than me to figure out who the witch is, to save the town. You need to do this."

"I've never done anything like that before; not that big." she argued.

"Do it to save you and Henry. Do it. Please." Neal begged in pain.

Taking his hands in hers, Emma focused her magic and split the father and son apart in a blast of magic. "Neal!" she cried crawling to his limp body, "Neal, are you okay?"

"What have you done?" Gold asked.

"It's okay, papa. I told her to." Neal weakly defended.

"But why?" he asked.

"So you can tell her who the witch is so you can defeat her."

"…Zelena." Rumple snarled.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Zelena." Gold repeated through his gritting teeth.

"She's the witch? What does she want?" she asked.

"What she doesn't have." Gold said in sadness as he looked at his dying child.

"There has to be some way you can save him, right?" she asked.

"It's too late, Emma." Nicholas said sadly. Looking at Neal's state reminded him of the countless friends he'd lost over the years. One in particular came to mind who made a similar sacrifice.

"He-he's right. I'm too far gone." Neal said weakly.

"Just hang in there, please." Emma begged as her voice broke, "You never even had a chance to see Henry-for him to remember you."

"It's okay. He doesn't need to. He just needs to know that, in the end, I was a good father." Neal said as he pulled out Emma's old swan necklace, "I saved this for you to give to you again. Take it. Go find Tallahassee…even if it's without me."

"Neal." Emma sobbed.

"Hey, I'll be watching over you guys from somewhere. Besides," he said looking and nodding at Nicholas, "I'm leaving you in good hands. Just promise me-promise me you'll be happy."

"I promise." Emma sobbed, "I promise."

"You have my word," Nicholas said kneeling at the man's side, "I will keep them safe. Your sacrifice will not be in vain."

"No." Gold argued, "No, no, no. I can fix this."

"No, you can't. You can't." Neal denied, "Thank you, papa, for showing me what it is to make a true sacrifice. It's about saving the ones that you love. It's my turn now."

"No. I don't want to let you go." Gold sobbed.

"I need you to. Please. Let go." Neal whispered.

"I love you, son." he cried.

"I-I love you, papa."

And with his final words, Neal Cassidy, the son of Rumplestiltskin, passed on from this life.

Emma cradled his body as her tears ran freely while Rumple held and kissed his hand and Nicholas bowed his head in respect.

Knowing who their enemy finally was, Emma and Nicholas went back to the loft in order to confront the Wicked Witch; who was acting as Snow and David's new midwife. Nicholas kicked open the door with his claws ready and Emma with her gun drawn.

"Emma, Nicholas, what's going on?" Snow asked in shock.

"Where's Zelena?" Emma asked.

"In the bathroom. Why?" David asked as the couple took both doors.

With a nod, they kicked in the doors and found no one inside. "She had to know we were coming." Nicholas said in anger.

"We need to get a protection spell around this apartment right away." Emma nodded as she reached for her phone.

"Does anyone want to tell us what's going on?" Snow asked.

"Just be glad you two are safe." Nicholas said taking down his shield.

"Of course we're safe. Why wouldn't we be safe?" David asked.

"Your midwife's the witch." he informed.

"What?" Snow asked, "How do you know?"

"Gold told us." Emma replied, "Neal brought him back before…"

"Before what, Emma?" David asked.

"What happened?" Snow asked.

"…Neal's dead." she said in sadness.

"Emma, I'm so sorry." Snow said bringing her daughter in for a much needed hug.

Back in the woods, Gold sat in silence as he stared at his son's corpse while Zelena approached him from behind. "Well, that was rather ill-timed." she remarked, "Your son coming to the surface and staging that little escape. I can see he'll no longer be a problem."

"My son may be gone, but he gave his life so I could tell Flamel and the Savior who you really are, Zelena. And now it's only a matter of time before they and the others find you…and kill you." Gold spat in hatred, "Unless, of course, I manage it first."

As he was about to attack, she simply waved his dagger in his face to stop him. "Please, you can't hurt me, but you're more than welcome to try. I do so enjoy watching futility wreck a man's will." Zelena taunted as she used the dagger to push him back, "There. Much better. Now that your head is no longer cluttered, everything's working properly. And it's so much more entertaining."

"You may control me, but it's over, Zelena. They know who you are. You'll never get close to Snow White's baby now, to any of them-to whatever your unholy desires are."

"They may know who I am now, but it no longer matters, not when I have you, Rumplestiltskin. Not when I have your beautiful brain." Zelena said pressing the dagger against his cheek tauntingly, "So be a good little dark one and get back in your cage."

As he reluctantly walked off, Zelena decided to taunt him even more. "Oh, and there's one more thing. Nicholas knew who I was the whole time. Turns out your son didn't need to die after all if he just told everyone."

For a moment, Gold stopped as he processed this information as his rage grew before continuing on his path to his cage.

 **OUaT**

In the depths of Storybrooke, Nicholas's lookalike sat in his throne and grinned arrogantly. To his side, a chess piece topped with a skull sat on the point of a pentagon on a piece of paper with another tipped over on another point. Reaching his pale finger over, he tipped the second piece straight up and returned it to its rightful spot.

 **Number of Human Sacrifices: 2**

 **1\. Nicholas Flamel**

 **2\. Rumplestiltskin**


	32. It's Not Easy Being Green (Or Immortal)

**Not much to say in this A.N. aside from I enjoyed writing this one and it's really exciting! :)**

 **Let me know what you guys think. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

Ten months ago in the Enchanted Forest, Nicholas was able to escape the castle and join up with his fellow members of the League in their old meeting spot, an underground tavern run by the League in secret.

"Well, doesn't this bring back memories?" Nicholas asked as he joined his comrades at their old table, "Us together with ales and beers in our hands right before a mission. Ah, I missed this."

"Well, don't get too wrapped in nostalgia, Flamel." Quartermain smirked, "Because you're the only one going on a mission today."

"Oh, really?" he asked grabbing a pint, "And what, none of you guys offered to come with me?"

"No, because this mission comes directly from the director himself." Mina replied, "Oh, and it is certainly one that you will prefer taking on alone."

"Why?" he asked.

"We've received word that one of them is trying to get back to The Land Without Magic." Nemo answered, "Now that Rumplestiltskin is no more, your little friend will be searching for more candidates."

"I see." Nicholas nodded, "Do we know which of them he sent?"

"That would be a big N O." Skinner replied, "We do know that he may be able to find potential candidates if he manages to find either Emma Swan or dear friend and fellow member, the Dragon."

"Hopefully, Dragon will be able to lay low until things blow over." Sawyer remarked, "But seeing as Swan doesn't remember anything or know anything about us, she and your nephew might be in danger."

"Not necessarily," Nicholas argued, "If the Dwarf in the Flask does want Emma as a sacrifice, he'll leave her alone. In any case, I better go over there. The last thing I need is for one of those things to get near Emma or Henry."

"Excellent." Quartermain nodded, "Oh, and you don't need to be reminded this but the director wanted you to hear this anyway, if you see your target-"

"I know, boss, I know." Nicholas waved off as he rose from his seat, "I'm to kill it without mercy or remorse. Trust me, it's the only method of killing I know."

"Don't forget this." Sawyer said tossing him a vial, "Save you some time from making your own portal."

"Thanks, pal." he nodded, "Don't wait up on me."

Once he exited the pub, Nicholas uncorked the vial and emptied its contents onto the ground. What was it, you ask? Why, the only thing capable of naturally creating a portal. A magic bean, of course.

"I wonder how angry the others would be if they found out about the dozens of beans we have?" Nicholas asked himself before jumping through the swirling vortex. A moment later, our dear alchemist landed in the middle of Queens with an excited grin on his face.

"Time to go to work." he said in excitement.

As he made his way through the streets, a beautiful woman with black hair in a blood red dress with sleeve-gloves watched him with a wicked smirk.

 **OUaT**

The day after Neal's death, the Lost Boys, the Charmings, dwarves, and Millses gathered for the funeral and paid their respects. After the coffin was buried, everyone gathered for a wake back at the diner. As everyone was chatting, Zelena burst through the door with the dark one's dagger in her hand.

"My condolences." she said mockingly, "I'm so sorry I missed the funeral, but I could never pass up on a wake. Oh, did I miss the speeches? Shall I make one? I mean, I am, after all, responsible."

Hearing this, Emma tried to take the witch on with her bare hands only to be stopped by her mother. "Emma, no. Too many people will get hurt." Snow warned.

"Listen to your mother. She's right." Zelena taunted, "Anyone who tries to interfere with my plan is gonna have to deal with the dark one."

"Don't come any closer." David warned as Zelena approached Snow.

"Don't worry. I'm not here for your baby." she assured, "Not today, anyway."

"Then why are you here?" Regina asked.

"Now that my cover's blown, I can finally pay a visit to my little brother and sister." Zelena replied looking at Regina and Nicholas.

"Who the hell are you talking about?" Regina asked.

"Why, you and Nicholas, of course, Regina." she replied.

"What?" Emma asked looking at her boyfriend.

"The only sibling I have is Nicholas." Regina retorted trying to call the witch's bluff.

"Cora lied to you, Regina. I'm your sister. Half, if either of you want to get technical."

"Why should either of us believe anything you say?" she asked.

"Oh, well, you shouldn't." Zelena scoffed, "It's a lot to swallow, which is why I've brought a gift to help."

"I don't want a gift from you." Regina chuckled.

"Oh, but you shall have it. You see, my gift to you is this sad, sad day. Use it to dig into our past, Regina. You need to learn the truth, and you must believe it, and then meet me on Main Street tonight. Say…sundown?"

"And then what?" she asked.

"Then I'll destroy you." Zelena sneered.

"This isn't the wild west." Regina reminded.

"No, dear. It's the wicked west. And I want everyone to be there to see the Evil Queen lose." Zelena said with a wicked grin.

"I don't lose." Regina retorted with a confident grin.

"Neither do I." Zelena replied, "One of us is about to make history. See you tonight, sis."

"Well, this is, without a doubt, the most interesting wake I've ever been to." Nicholas muttered bluntly before the town officials surrounded him and the mayor with questions.

"And you're sure Cora never said anything about her?" David asked them.

"I think at least one of us would remember if our mother told us she had a love child with a scarecrow." Regina dryly replied.

"It doesn't matter if Zelena is your sister or not." Emma reminded, "She wants you dead. Any idea why?"

"I've never even met her before today." Regina stressed.

"Doesn't mean you didn't do something to piss her off." Emma countered.

"Well, that's not entirely true, sis." Nicholas admitted sheepishly gaining everyone's attention, "Both you and I met her when we arrived back in the Enchanted Forest."

"What?" Regina asked hotly, "Why didn't you say anything before?!"

"Because, I wasn't exactly sure if Zelena was indeed here and behind this curse." he replied wincing at her tone and everyone's glares, "Now, at least I have one of those questions answered."

From there, Nicholas explained what happened when he and Regina met their long lost sister.

"You knew all along that Zelena was the Wicked Witch?" Emma asked.

"After Neal sacrificed himself to tell us, you knew the whole time?" David asked.

"How could you?" Snow asked.

"Now, hold on," Nicholas glared, "I may have known about Zelena being mine and Regina's long lost sister, but I had no idea that you hired her to be your damn midwife! Hell, I didn't even know for sure if she was here in Storybrooke!"

"First you disappear mysteriously and refuse to tell us, then you travel to New York and leave us behind, and now we find out that you've known about the witch all along." Regina pointed out, "What else aren't you telling us, Nicholas?"

"Let me make this quite clear, to all of you." he said growing irritated, "My secrets are my business and mine alone. I some of what I'm not telling you are matters I'm not allowed to say, so can we just drop it for now and focus on making sure Zelena doesn't throw this town into a singing midget and green skinned hellhole?"

"He's right." Emma nodded before glaring at him, "But we are going to have a long talk about this later."

"Yes, dear." Nicholas replied trying not to show his displeasure as everyone made their way out.

"Not to sound repetitive," David said as the others went on ahead, "But why did you go to New York?"

"…I was hunting." Nicholas replied.

 **OUaT**

Nearly eight months ago in New York, Nicholas was walking through the busy streets of Manhattan at night. It was only three days before Christmas and snow covered the ground and fell from the sky. As he was walking down the streets, he was having a phone call with Emma.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you, don't shake the presents!" he laughed.

"Come on!" Emma whined, "How else am I supposed to guess what you got me?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe, wait until Christmas and find out when you open them?" he suggested.

"Where's the fun in that?" she asked, "Henry's pretty excited to see what you got him."

"Well, he should." Nicholas smirked, "I think he'll have fun with a Laystationpa ourfa."

"Just as long as you get to play it too, right?"

"I don't know where you got that idea. Personally, I enjoy a good classic novel over a videogame. Saves money on the electricity bill, for one thing."

"Are you sure you have to work tonight?" Emma asked, "Henry's at his friend's place and I was hoping you and I could celebrate Christmas early this year."

"Oh!" Nicholas groaned, "Babe, I want to, but I can't! I'm needed at the office."

"Fine," she sighed, "But next time you and I are alone, we're gonna make up for tonight."

"And then some." he chuckled, "Alright, I'm about to get in a dead zone. I'll call you when I get off."

"Okay. Bye." Emma said as she hung up.

"Doh! I never thought I'd hate being undercover this much!" he groaned as he headed to his "office."

Truth be told, Nicholas's "office" was actually an abandoned building that was at one point used for secret Brooklyn mobster meetings; that is until Nicholas accidently interrupted one and ended up killing them all. Since then, his "office" as he told Emma was actually a place for him to work on his research and experiments while he waited for his target to show itself.

True, he did feel guilty about lying to Emma all the time, but he kept telling himself that what he was doing was for the good of those in danger. Besides that, Nicholas had no idea where in the realm his target was; or who it was for that matter and Dragon wasn't able to help him either.

As he entered the rickety old elevator to the top floor, the woman who had been watching him ever since he arrived made her way into the building.

 **OUaT**

Out in the woods, Nicholas managed to finally locate his sister after she went to find out if their mother had left any valid proof of Zelena being their sister. Sitting by herself on a log, he decided to join her and poke her brain.

"So this is where you ran off to." he said as he sat next to her.

"I didn't run off." Regina defended, "I came out here to collect my thoughts."

"Have you tried smoking? I find that it helps calm the nerves and relaxes my thoughts." Nicholas suggested as he dug out his pipe and began to scrape out the ashes in it.

"I'll leave that disgusting habit to you, thank you." she replied dryly.

"Suit yourself." he shrugged as he continued to scrape.

"How do you do it?" she asked out of the blue.

"Do what?"

"Manage to stay so calm in the face of danger."

"Hmm, I didn't expect to hear you sound so concerned about the big showdown tonight." Nicholas mused.

"I'm not, I'm-"

"Save it, Regina." he cut off, "There's no shame in admitting you're worried about a fight. It happens to the best of us."

"Yeah, but not me." she snapped before noticing another presence behind her. Looking behind, the two siblings spotted Robin Hood staring at them.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt." he said sheepishly.

"Did the Charmings send you to give me a pep talk?" Regina asked, "Cause I clearly don't do well with pep talks."

"No, nothing of the sort." Robin denied, "After Zelena's threat, I decided to patrol the woods in case she decided to build the ranks of her simian army. How are you holding up?"

"I'm not a flying monkey, if that's what you mean." Regina playfully commented.

"What the hell?!" Nicholas exclaimed in his head, "Since when does Regina make playful banter?!"

"So, are you going to tell me what's in that letter you've been staring at?" Robin asked.

"What letter?" Nicholas asked before seeing Robin hold it in his fingers.

"This one." he replied as he noticed Regina's shocked look, "I'm a pickpocket by trade. I spent many years learning how to rob from magicians."

"You're lucky I'm saving my strength for that witch." Regina growled.

"I think, deep down, you actually want to talk about what's in here." Robin speculated.

"And what makes you think you know me so well?" she asked.

"Well, for one thing, you'd have charred him to a crisp by now if you didn't." Nicholas remarked as he finished cleaning his beloved pipe and began to smoke it, "Can't argue with a man's intuition, sis."

"True." she chuckled.

"So, can I read it?" Robin asked.

"I'm pretty curious as to what it says as well. I've seen you read this thing well over a thousand time over the years and not once have you ever told me what it has to say." Nicholas added.

"…I'm not stopping either of you." Regina answered. With her permission, Robin began to read aloud.

"Cora, dear, I finally got my hands on your firstborn. Never thought I'd find her, did you? Now I know why. She's the most powerful sorceress I've ever encountered, even more powerful than you. Stunning in every way."

"Seems like one hell of a compliment, if you ask me." Nicholas speculated, "I take it that you're seeing it in a different light this time around, however."

"I've seen that letter a hundred time before. In my darkest moments, I'd go to it for comfort, for solace, for…a boost when I needed it, because I…because I always thought it was about me."

"It's about Zelena." Robin sighed.

"Rumplestiltskin thinks she's more powerful than I am." Regina admitted.

"Why care what that imps thinks?" Robin asked.

"Because if the man who taught me everything I know about magic thinks she is stronger than I am…then there is no way I can win this fight." Regina whispered in hopelessness before being smacked upside the head by Nicholas.

"Nicholas?!" Robin exclaimed.

"What was that for?" Regina asked rubbing the back of her head.

"An old friend of mine taught me a long time ago that sometimes, all a person needs to get their head out of their ass is a good smack to the head." he calmly replied with a faint smirk, "How 'bout it, sis? Feeling better?"

"…As a matter of fact, I do." she said as an idea popped into her mind, "Zelena may know Rumple's methods, but there's one person's whose she doesn't know. And that is my advantage."

"Now we're talking." Nicholas grinned wildly.

 **OUaT**

As Nicholas was quickly looking back and forth between his notes and books as he continued to jot down whatever it was going through his mind. As he was doing this, his nose twitched as he caught a whiff of someone's scent across the room bringing him to stop with what he was doing.

"Well, I spent the past several months in search of you, and here you are coming before me." he said as he put away his notes and glasses.

"Who's to say I haven't been keeping my eye on you this whole time, Flamel?" the voice asked in a smooth and seductive tone. As she stepped into the light, the woman from before came into view as well as the distinct red tattoo on her chest. To an alchemist's eyes, it was known as an Ouroborous symbol: a dragon encircling a pyramid and biting its tail.

"So he's finally decided to come check up on me, has he?" Nicholas asked, "After all these years."

"Originally, I was only sent here to keep an eye on the Savior and make sure she didn't do anything stupid. But as soon as you arrived, I knew I had to make sure you stayed in line."

"Well, you certainly made my job easier." Nicholas chuckled, "Judging by the way you dress and the tone of your voice, you must be his lust."

"Indeed," she nodded, "I am Lust the Lascivious."

"I'm sure you don't need me to introduce myself, correct?"

"Believe me, I know plenty about you, Nicholas Flamel. Father has told all of us about you." Lust replied.

"Father, huh?" Nicholas asked, "So he really does treat you like children then."

"Of course he does." Lust said finding his remark odd, "He created us and gave us all a purpose. Why shouldn't we consider him our father?"

"Whatever floats your boat." he waved off, "That being said, I hope you said your goodbyes before you left, because you won't be leaving this place alive."

"You sound so sure of yourself." Lust observed with an arrogant smirk.

"Considering that you aren't allowed to kill me, not that you can anyway, and that our Stones are quite different, yes, I am sure of that." Nicholas explained, "Don't forget, your Stone is incomplete."

"Oh, I didn't come here to fight. I merely came to see how powerful the Immortal Alchemist really is with my own eyes." she replied.

"Too bad for you," Nicholas said dryly as he reached for a glock in his desk, "Because I came to this realm to kill you. And I plan on doing just that."

In an instant, he pulled out the gun and shot Lust dead on in her forehead. He then continued to fire the weapon until he emptied the magazine while watching her wounds heal after each bullet went through her. Once it was empty, he watched her wounds heal with a blank expression.

"Is that the best you can do?" Lust asked in her ever seductive voice.

"Not hardly. But I will admit, it felt pretty damn good to shoot at least some part of that bastard after all these years." Nicholas replied while coating his arms in his shield.

"Ah, so you have the Ultimate Shield after all." Lust observed, "I almost feel bad that my brother isn't here. He would love to have the chance to fight against someone with his own ability."

"Oh, don't you worry, you'll get the same chance." he assured, "I just have to use this power first in order to use what comes next."

"Such a shame that you were able to tell what it is I can do before I could even demonstrate." Lust sighed with a pout, "Oh, well, in any case, we'll be able to see who is better with the Ultimate Spear."

As she said this, her gloves hands turned into longer razor sharp blade-like claws. In retaliation, Nicholas's claws did the same.

"You fail to see the predicament that you're in, Lust." Nicholas pointed out, "While we can both use the same technique and regenerate, I'm the only one with a perfected Stone, alchemy, and all the other abilities your 'siblings' can use. In other words, you're in over your head, toots."

In an instant, both their claws extended across the room to strike their opponent rapidly; both sets only able to strike the other's claws. As he defended himself, Nicholas kicked over his desk to provide cover while he reached for two revolvers and began to fire at the Homunculus.

Three bullets were able to pierce through her giving Nicholas the chance to resume his previous attack. However, Lust was able to regain her bearings and fend off the attacks as she closed in for close combat. Once she managed to get in close enough, she swept Nicholas off his feet and drove five of her spears into his chest causing him to cough up blood.

Thankfully, Nicholas was quickly able to destroy them with the use of his alchemy, allowing him to get away as Lust back off to regenerate. While he healed, Nicholas looked for more of his resources to aid him in this fight.

Now you're probably wondering what resources he might have, yes? Well, if the guns he used previously were any indication, Nicholas decided when he set up his base to fill it with weapons if such an occasion like the one he was in were to ever happen. Amongst these, guns were not the only weapons at his disposal; he also had a few crates full of grenades lying around, as well.

Pulling pin after pin out with his teeth, Nicholas threw the explosives at his enemy until he ran out. Lust was still nowhere near death, but she was growing irritated by the constant explosions causing damage to her. Fire was spreading throughout the building and the roof and floor began to crumble from the blasts.

With the smoke to his advantage, Nicholas was able to charge at Lust with his claws and shadows with absolutely no mercy in any of his attacks. He told her he was going to kill her, and no matter how many times it took, he was going to hold true to his word. Unfortunately for him, Lust was still able to fend off several of his blows and land a few hits of her own where the pain was intense.

Hey, no one ever said a fight between monsters was going to be easy.

 **OUaT**

Night fell on Storybrooke and that marked the time of the witch fight between the two sisters. Regina spent the day alone while she prepared herself and came to terms that Zelena was in fact her sister while Emma and the others, minus Nicholas, tried to even the odds for the mayor; unfortunately, every time they tried, it backfired. Now, everyone was gathered at Main Street to watch the anticipated fight.

"Any sign of Regina?" Emma asked.

"Not since the vault." Snow replied, "If she doesn't get here soon, that witch could take it out on all of us."

"Let's get everybody out of here before that happens." David suggested, "Alright, listen up! We need you to get back to your homes."

"No one's going anywhere." Zelena denied with Rumple at her side, "This show needs an audience."

As she approached them, she saw Sneezy looking at her in fear. "Out of the way, munchkin." she snapped.

"I'm a dwarf." he corrected in fear.

"That's even worse." she insulted, "Where is she, hmm? Don't tell me, she's a coward. Well, this isn't good…for any of you. If my sister's not here in five minutes, I'm going to let the dark one off his leash."

"He's not killing anyone." Emma denied stepping forward, "If you want to fight someone, Zelena, fight me."

"Hmm, my little brother's plaything?" she asked with a sneer, "I think not. Sorry, dear. I don't dance with amateurs."

"I'm not anyone's plaything and I'm not an amateur. I'm the Savior." Emma shot back.

"Hmm, appears someone's got an inflated sense of self-worth." Zelena remarked before having Gold send Emma flying, "Anybody else want to give it a go?"

"We do." Regina said with Nicholas at her side.

"Oh, goodie. A little family reunion." Zelena madly giggled, "I was beginning to think neither of you were going to show up. 'Course, I was hoping to put Regina in her place, but I guess we can just call this killing two birds with one stone."

"Oh, we couldn't let our big sister off that easily." Nicholas remarked.

"So the two of you have finally accepted me into the family?" Zelena asked.

"We've accepted that we shared a mother, yes." Regina nodded, "But I still have one question. What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Zelena asked, "You were born."

As soon as she said this, Regina gave the witch a well-deserved punch to the face which drew blood on her lower lip. "I've been waiting to do that all day."

"Nice shot." Nicholas commented.

"Rumplestiltskin can't save you this time. He should have chosen me."

"That's what this is all about?" Nicholas chuckled, "You're jealously of Regina?"

"I think I've heard enough from you, little brother." Zelena growled as she waved the dagger, "Why don't you keep him out of my hair, dearie?"

"With pleasure." Gold nodded in anger as he pushed Nicholas back, "I've been waiting decades for this."

"Really?" Nicholas asked as he drew his sword, "Well, if you were wanting another ass-kicking that badly, I would've been happy to give it to you any time you wanted."

"Shut up!" Rumple shouted as he summoned his own sword and began to clash with the alchemist while the two sisters fought. "You knew the entire time! You could have told them, but instead you let my son die."

"Oh," Nicholas realized, "So Zelena told you, did she? Hmm, how unfortunate. I was hoping to keep that little secret under wraps. Oh, well."

"Oh, well?!" Rumple snarled as he tried to strike Nicholas only to have his attacks blocked and parried, "My son died because of her and you keeping her identity to yourself, and all you can say is oh, well?!"

"Considering that I never even liked Neal and only gained respect for him when he died, yeah, that's all I have to say." Nicholas dryly shrugged, "Besides, I've seen and caused enough death to where it doesn't affect me like most people."

"Enough!" Rumple shouted as they continued to fight.

"You still don't realize what you had." Zelena said as she fought Regina, "You never did. You got everything I ever wanted, and you didn't even deserve it! But I'm gonna take it all from you!"

As Regina tried to throw a fireball, Zelena extinguished it with an angry flick of her wrist before picking her up by the throat with her magic. "You can't beat me, little sis. Everything Rumplestiltskin taught you, he taught me, too. But I was the better student."

And with that, Zelena flung her sister into the air and through the face of the clock tower. In the streets, Rumple continued to try and fight back against the smiling alchemist who seemed to be having more fun than anyone that evening.

"Tell me, Rumple," Nicholas said as he easily fended off the imp's attacks, "How did it feel to watch your son die knowing it was your fault? How did it feel to know that because of your father and your curse, your son was taken away from those he loved and became so desperate that he brought you back to life?"

"Shut up!" the dark one snarled.

"Ooh, I bet it felt pretty terrible, didn't it?" he taunted as he kicked Rumple in the gut, "The very thing you used to get to him ended up being the very tool leading to his death. It's such a pity."

"I said shut up, Flamel!" Rumple shouted only to be kicked to the ground.

"You know, I find it even more pitiful that you think that you can beat me now when I was able to beat you to the ground not once, not twice, but five times when I was just a teenager." Nicholas said in taunt, "Hmm, maybe pitiful isn't the right word. More like pathetic, really."

As he said this, he stabbed the angry wizard in the gut who slashed his sword across his face. As their wounds healed, Nicholas sighed while shaking his head. "We'll be at this all night." he sighed as he continued with his attacks.

In the clock tower, Zelena loomed over Regina as she laid on the ground and broken glass. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Regina asked, "Kill me."

"I never said I wanted to kill you. I said I wanted to destroy you." Zelena corrected in anger, "And to do that, I need your heart."

With a hard thrust, the witch plunged her hand into Regina's chest. However, as soon as she did, she found nothing inside. "Where is it?!" she asked in anger.

"Our mother taught me one thing: never bring your heart to a witch fight." Regina smirked as she shoved her sister back, "Something you'd know if she hadn't abandon you."

"You haven't won, Regina. I will get your heart! I will get everything you ever had!" Zelena cried as she summoned her flying broomstick.

"Not today." Regina denied as her sister flew off. As soon as she did, Emma, her parents and Nicholas showed up in the elevator.

"You alright?" Emma called.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Regina asked, "What happened to Gold?"

"He poofed away as soon as Zelena took off." Nicholas replied, "Honestly, I don't know why you guys are so afraid of him; he sucks at fighting."

"Said the immortal alchemist whose wounds instantly heal." Regina retorted, "I found out something interesting. As it turns out, Zelena wanted my heart. It's a good thing I wasn't stupid enough to bring it with me."

"Any idea why she wants it?" David asked.

"Well, she got your courage and wants my heart. Those are ingredients." Regina explained.

"For what? A curse?" Emma asked.

"We're already in Storybrooke. We've already lost our memories. What else could she do to us?" Snow asked.

 **OUaT**

The fight between Nicholas and Lust seemed to be going nowhere fast. Every time one of them was wounded, they would heal in an instant. Not to mention, the crumbling building they were in wasn't proving to be an ideal battlefield.

"What's the matter, Lusty?" Nicholas asked as he panted and regenerated, "Can't keep up?"

"I should be the one asking you that, Flamel." Lust retorted while she too panted and regenerated, "It's too bad that neither of us will be able to end this little dance of our tonight. I'd rather not get anymore ash on this dress than I already have."

"Hate to tell you this, even though I really don't, but I don't plan on letting you leave this place alive." Nicholas informed as he discretely put on his flame alchemy gloves. Once he had them on, he quickly let loose his flames on the lady Homunculus.

As soon as the blast of fire engulfed her, Lust glared at Nicholas in pain, rage, and hatred. "Where in the hell did you get those?!" she snarled.

"Oh, these old things?" Nicholas asked with a mad grin, "I've had them since I made them when I was just seventeen. Now, I'll admit, I could have used these on you any time I wanted during out fight. But to be honest, I was having too much fun. You have no idea how boring it is to fight someone who goes down so easily as mortals do."

"So you were just toying with me all along?!" Lust shouted as Nicholas silenced her with more flames.

"Exactly." he replied looking terrifying as the flames danced in his madness filled eyes, "It's like I told you, you're in over your head, toots."

And with that, Nicholas unleashed the fires of hell on the woman. Snap after snap, her cries of agony and pain filled the air while Nicholas smiled wickedly at his handiwork. In one final act of rage, Lust screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to drive her spear through Nicholas's head. But just before it could reach his skin, he gave one final snap with a blank cold look that stopped Lust once and for all.

"You killed me." Lust said as her body slowly began to become ash, "I hate losing. But there are worse ways to die than at the hands of a man like you. I love how cold and focused your eyes are. I look forward to the day when those eyes will be widened with agony. It's coming. It's coming."

As she gave her final words, Lust disintegrated until her Philosopher's Stone was left and even it broke away and faded into nothingness.

"Not if I have any say in the matter." Nicholas said as he glared at the spot, "Merry Christmas, you filthy animal."

Becoming aware of his surroundings, Nicholas jumped through the nearest window and fell outside into the dirt. Once he got to his feet, he ran over to a nearby oil drum filled with C4 and tipped it over in front the entrance.

"No lose ends." he muttered before kicking the drum into the fiery building and shot it with his gun causing a massive explosion bringing the building down. As it came crumbling to the ground, Nicholas sighed and walked away as he repaired the tears in his clothes via alchemy.

Later that evening, he returned to Emma's apartment where he found his frantic girlfriend with bloodshot eyes and tear streaks on her face.

"Emma, what's wrong? What happened?" Nicholas asked in concern. Hearing the sound of his voice, Emma swiftly turned around and looked at him before running into his arms.

"Nicky!" she cried as she plowed into him. Normally, Nicholas would cringe and correct her given that he hatted being called Nick, Nicky, Nick-man, Nicko, etc., but he decided to let it slide given the situation.

"Hun, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I saw the fire and the smoke and explosion from your office from all the way here." she said trying to control herself, "I've been trying to get ahold of you all night and when you didn't answer I-I thought-"

"Shh," he soothed holding her close and kissing her head, "It's alright. I'm okay, I got out just in time. I'm okay, Emma; I promise."

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she sobbed into his chest, "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." he chuckled holding her tightly, "I love you."

Hearing him say that for the first time in their relationship sent happiness throughout Emma's heart as she pressed herself closer to him. "I love you, too." she whispered into his chest.

 **OUaT**

In the present time in Storybrooke, Nicholas stared out into the night sky looking at the stars in thought. He didn't even need to pull out his pipe, all he wanted to do was try and think of what lied ahead for him and those he cared about.

In his mind, he could only think about fixing the mistake he had made so many years ago and what he would have to do to make things right.

 **So how was it? I hope it turned out okay, fight scenes have kinda been a weaker area for me in the past but I believe these did okay. And I know, I introduced and got rid of Lust really quickly, but I want to make things interesting in how the other Homunculi will act around Nicholas now that he's killed their sister.**

 **In addition, for the FMAB fans who know what it is that I'm talking about, I hope you're enjoying this too. And for those who are wondering how the concept of the sacrifices work...you'll just have to wait and find out~! ;)**

 **Oh, and before I finish this up, two things.**

 **Lust is/was played by Selena Gomez.**

 **And...**

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	33. The Jolly Roger

**First post of the year! Now this one will take place mostly in the past, but for a very good reason. Hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think; believe me, I have plenty in this one that will make your heads fill with questions.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT or LXG.**

Ten months ago in the Enchanted Forest, Nicholas decided to set out on personal business after finally escaping the walls of the castle. Dressed in his traveling clothes, a red hooded coat over black slacks and a black tunic, he made his way over to the loudest tavern located in the village via rooftop.

As he lurked in the shadows, he saw a sight that nearly made him laugh, Captain Hook being held at dagger point by a young, beautiful girl.

"Well, now," Nicholas mused with a smirk, "There's something you don't see every day. This will certainly make my mission even more interesting."

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke at the loft, Emma and David were fussing over putting together the baby's crib while Snow watched. "Alright, it says take screw E with washers D through bar C using wrench F, which is…not provided." Emma read aloud.

"Why don't we just call Marco? He's really good at this sort of thing." Snow suggested.

"No!" Emma and David protested.

"Should we even be doing this?" she asked, "Ever since the showdown between Regina and the Wicked Witch, we haven't seen Zelena of Gold at all. Shouldn't we be focusing on her next move?"

"We are. We just can't stop living." Emma reminded.

"And this crib is a statement." David pointed out as Nicholas and Regina entered, "We are not going to lose another baby."

"And, thanks to me, you won't." Regina informed, "I'm finished."

"So? Did it work?" David asked, "Were you able to put up a new protection spell?"

"One that can't be undone by blood magic, which means Zelena won't be able to put her hands on that baby."

"Any idea why she would want to?" Snow asked as she sighed in relief.

"The number of spells involving baby parts would surprise you." Regina replied with a bit of dark humor, "That greenie is clearly one twisted witch. But as long as we're in here, we're safe."

"That's useless." said Emma, "I think we need to stop playing defense and start taking the fight to her."

"While I agree with you, Emma, none of you are really capable of taking Zelena on." Nicholas reminded, "She has some pretty powerful magic, in case you've already forgotten."

"I have magic, too. You've seen me use it. I just can't always control it." Emma retorted, "But if we team up, if Regina taught me-"

"Now, why does this feel so familiar?" she asked sarcastically.

"I'm ready this time." Emma said strongly.

"Okay." Regina chuckled, "But if we do this, we do this my way. This isnt drinking stale coffee at a stakeout or whatever you did as a bail bondsperson. This is a way of life. You have to fully commit to it."

"Not a problem." Emma replied meeting Regina's gaze.

"Meet me at my vault in one hour." she said as she left.

"While you guys are doing that, I'll be taking a look around town; I wanna see if my other dear sister has left anything that might be dangerous." Nicholas informed, "Last thing we need is anything dangerous laying around for the townsfolk."

 **OUaT**

Smirking at the pirate's predicament below him, Nicholas couldn't help but resist the urge to laugh. It wasn't every day that a person was able to witness a cutthroat pirate get his ass handed to him by a lovely young lady. As he snickered, he heard Hook speak.

"Not to add insult to injury, but would you mind catching me up on your particular grievance?"

"You kidnapped Prince Eric, and you're gonna return him to me. Now on your feet!" Ariel ordered.

"Kidnapping a prince does sound like something I would do but I'm afraid you've got the wrong pirate." Hook groaned before turning the tables and holding the knife at her throat, "Or should I say the wrong pirate has you?"

"Go ahead, kill me. But I still know you're lying. One of Eric's men escaped, so I know the ship that took him was yours: The Jolly Roger."

"…The Jolly Roger?" Hook asked, "Are you certain? Answer me!"

"You really didn't take him." Ariel realized looking into his eyes.

"What else do you know about who's captaining my ship? Did that man tell you anything else?!" Hook demanded.

"Only that he was able to escape with a weapon that he stole from the armory: the dagger that's against my throat." she informed somewhat fearful.

"You may want to listen to her, my friend." Nicholas said from the roof before jumping down before them, "She's not the only one who's heard rumors regarding your ship."

"Why the bloody hell am I not surprised that ought of all the people I know, you have graced me with your presence, Flamel?" Hook asked still fuming, "But a better question, what do you know about my ship?"

"Oh, not much." Nicholas replied tauntingly, "Just that it's been said that another infamous vessel is docked next to it not far from hear and it's captained by someone you would know."

"Enough games, alchemist." Hook snapped, "I want answers; now."

"Fair enough." Nicholas grinned, "The Jolly Roger has been reported being next to a Man O' War as red as blood with sails painted in the ashes from her cannons' blast and crewed by the damned and unfortunate souls who come across her captain. The vessel believed to be the ferry of the dead itself sailing the waters of this realm: The Queen Anne's Revenge."

Hearing the name, both Ariel and Hook stiffened and shuddered in fear fully knowing who was in possession of the Roger.

"Black Beard." Hook exhaled.

The following morning, the trio with the addition of Mr. Smee made their way through the woods to their destination. Although, Ariel didn't enjoy it the journey much and made a point to let the others know.

"Trudge, trudge, trudge." she complained, "If you ask me, there's nothing more boring than land travel. I'll take my tail in the ocean any day."

"That's one thing we can agree on; minus the tail, of course." Hook nodded, "You won't be bored for much longer. Our destination is just past this rise."

"Then it won't be long until I'm reunited." Ariel smiled before realizing her cloak was snagged on a branch.

"Here. Allow me." Hook offered before tearing his namesake through it.

"You've ripped it!" she snapped.

"…It's a cloak." he dryly retorted.

"It's Eric's cloak." she corrected, "And he's had it since before we met. He left it with me while he was away to keep him close, and now you have ruined it!"

"If mending a cloak is our biggest obstacle, we're in fine shape." Hook groaned, "Nicholas, would you mind, mate?"

"Not at all." he replied as he grabbed the tear and mended it in an instant, "There, good as new."

"Th-thank you." she said still in shock at the demonstration of alchemy.

"You realize you might not find this prince of yours or even survive?" Hook asked.

"I will." Ariel shot back.

"Didn't you see the fear Black Beard's name struck into my crew?" he asked, "You don't become a pirate captain through mercy. If I were you, I would prepare myself for the worst."

"Why?" she asked, "What are you saying? That you would kill Eric if you had him?"

"You don't believe that?"

"Well, honestly, I was a little surprised to hear that you might be responsible for Eric's kidnapping, after the stories I've heard."

"What stories?" Hook snapped.

"Well, the ones of you helping reunite Snow White and her family in Neverland. Some people say that you're a hero."

"…Don't believe every story you hear." Hook said looking away. As he did, he felt Ariel's hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"Being good is nothing to be ashamed of. People change. Look at me. I have legs, and I fell in love with a human. I don't think anyone saw that coming." she coaxed.

"You may have changed I haven't. I'm a pirate, and I always will be." Hook said before pressing on.

"A person doesn't choose to change whenever he wants, Hook." Nicholas thought, "He does it whenever his heart tells him to."

Night eventually fell and the group reached the port where they not only spotted the Jolly Roger, but the Revenge as well. It was exactly as Nicholas described, red as blood yet stained with cannon fire ash; the Roger was the size of a dingy compared to the massive Man O' War and its crew struck fear into Smee's soul. Some appeared to be ordinary pirates, but others were pale, covered in tattoos and looked as though the shadow of death loomed over them.

"Up close, she's even more beautiful than I remember." Hook said staring at his vessel, "Don't worry, my dear, you'll soon be back in my loving arms."

"You do realize you're talking to a boat, right?" Nicholas asked as they all hid behind barrels.

"Why does some of Black Beard's crew look funny?" Ariel asked.

"They're zombies." Nicholas informed not taking his eyes off them.

"Zombies?" she asked.

"The undead." he nodded, "Black Beard resurrects his best officers whenever they're killed in battle in order to maintain his able body crew. He believes it's bad luck to lose crew members; at least the good ones."

"And as our luck would have it, he's left them in charge of our ship." Smee pointed out, "And the Revenge seems to be blocking our way as well. How are we going to get on board, Captain? Black Beard's crew outnumbers us."

"I'll show you." he said making his way to the nearest living pirate and knocked him out, "Stand at attention, mates! Now boarding the ship, the rightful captain of the Jolly Roger."

"I guess that's our cue." Nicholas said as they joined Hook.

"Now, if the coward who tried stealing her from me would kindly show his face, I'll give him the punishment he deserves."

From behind the helm of the Revenge, the doors of the captain's quarters swung open and let loose more smoke than Nicholas did whenever he smoked his cigars. Slowly coming out of the darkness drinking a bottle of rum and dressed in black with a large sword at his side, Blackbeard stared down at Hook with a disappointed expression.

"Gentlemen," he sighed with a shake of his head before throwing the bottle at Hook's feet, "I be placed in a bewilderment. There I were, resting, and upon a sudden, I hear an ungodly rile on deck."

As he spoke, he traced his fingers on the hilt of his sword causing the Revenge to creak and moan in compliance, "Sailors abandoning their posts without orders, without leave. Unwanted men before the mast, taking my new ship for themselves."

Ropes began to move and pull by themselves as he continued to trace his weapon. His crew smirked knowing what was about to happen while Smee and Ariel looked around in fear while Nicholas looked intrigued and Hook stared at Blackbeard in anger.

"What be that, first mate?" Blackbeard asked.

"Blasphemy, Captain." one of the zombies replied.

"Again?" he asked.

"Blasphemy."

"Aye," he growled as he unsheathed his sword and the ropes acted like snakes around the group, "And what fate befalls blasphemers? Now we know the answer to that, do we not?"

"Aye!" his crew shouted.

"C-Captain?" Smee fearfully stuttered.

"Blasphemers HANG!" Blackbeard shouted with a thrust of his sword. Suddenly, the sails unfurled with the wind gusting through them and the ropes began to pounce at the party and trap them like flies in a spider's web.

"Killian Jones." Blackbeard nodded as he lowed Hook to eye level.

"Edward Teach." he spat, "I trust you know why I'm here?"

"Aye," nodded the older pirate, "You want your ship back. By all means, please, take it." he taunted before releasing and dropping him to the ground, "If you can."

"With pleasure." Hook snarled as he got to his feet and swung his sword at Teach. The fight clearly showed that Hook's swordplay was on par with Black Beard. It even carried across the plank connecting the two ships and continued on the Jolly Roger's deck.

"I was afraid you weren't going to show up." Blackbeard taunted as he knocked Hook back, "Word is that Captain Hook has gone soft."

"The only thing soft," Hook spat as he sliced Teach's arm and kicked him down, "Will be your guts spilling out on this deck! I'd never give up the Jolly Roger without a fight."

As they fought, Nicholas managed to use his alchemy to cut the ropes holding him, Smee and Ariel. As soon as he landed on deck, he had his shadows at the ready to keep the crew and zombies away.

Back at the fight, Hook continued to cross blades with his fellow pirate with no end in sight. "So you think you know this ship?" he asked.

"Oh, every inch of it, I assure you." Teach taunted.

"If that was the case," Hook said before swinging his sword at his feet, "You'd know not to step there!"

As he stepped away, Blackbeard trapped his foot in a loose plank thus rendering him at Hook's mercy, "Oh, I've been meaning to fix that." he mocked.

"Finish it." Blackbeard spat.

"Fancy a shave, do we?" Hook taunted, "Well, I'd be happy to oblige, but I have a bargain I need to uphold. Now then, Captain Teach, where are you keeping Prince Eric?"

Hearing the demand caused the older pirate to laugh as he spotted Ariel come over, "So that's what this was about? A rescue mission for some wench? They were right about you, Hook. You have gone soft."

"I can either make this painful or quite painful." Hook threatened, "Now answer!"

"Hmm," he smirked, "Check the belly of the nearest shark."

"He's dead?" Ariel asked as her heart began to break.

"Aye, my child." he taunted, "His blood left a most vibrant color of red in the waves. His usefulness proved to be insignificant after his kingdom refused to pay for his ransom; thanks to his order."

"No." she denied as tears fell, "No, no, no, no."

Hook saw this and immediately embraced her to give her comfort. Seeing the chance, Blackbeard freed himself and used his sword to aim the Revenge's cannons at the Roger. "Now then," he said pointing his weapon at them, "I can either make this painful or quite painful. You have a choice to make, Captain. Either surrender the ship, or you and your friends will follow her to the depths."

"I choose a third option: parlay." he replied causing Teach to lower his weapon, "As vile as you may be, Teach, you're still a pirate and must honor our code."

"Very well," he nodded sheathing his enchanted blade, "What are your terms, Captain?"

"I bested you in fair combat. Unless you want to throw away your honor, you will abide by my terms." Hook spat, "You will return my ship to me and leave this port without harming us, my ship or anyone innocent here until either of our ships has left. Am I clear?"

"…Aye, I shall abide by these terms." he nodded as he returned to his proper vessel allowing the others to breath easily.

"I'm sorry, love." Hook said to Ariel.

"I just wish I could have said goodbye." she said as her voice shook.

"…I know this is sudden," Hook gently said, "But if you would like, I could offer you a position on my crew. I've been searching for a proper Quartermaster for quite some time."

"You would do that?" she asked through her tears.

"Aye." he nodded, "I know what it's like to lose the person you love. This ship was able to help me through times of trouble and heartache; if you should say yes, I believe she can do the same for you."

"Yes." she nodded pulling him into a warm hug which he returned, "Thank you."

"Well, aside from being strung up and caught like a fly in a crazy ass spider-web, I think this went rather well." Nicholas commented to himself.

Later that night after Hook and Ariel sailed away on the Jolly Roger, Nicholas stayed behind and waited at the dock where he watched his friends leave. Soon afterwards, he spotted the Queen Anne's Revenge come back and drop anchor before him.

"If you have had enough of waiting, Master Flamel, you are more than welcome aboard my ship." Blackbeard called from portside.

"Thank you, Captain." he grinned as he boarded the mighty vessel.

"I trust that our plan went accordingly?" Blackbeard asked as the ship sailed away from the port.

"Oh, yes," Nicholas nodded, "Hook has returned to the sea with a chance of new hope and love, and we have what we wanted. Don't we?"

"Indeed we do." another voice said from behind the alchemist. Turning around, he saw that it belonged to Robin Hood. "I must say, I was a bit unsure of helping Hook like that, but it just goes to show you really can't judge a person at first glance."

"He may be a pirate, but Killian does have honor." Nicholas nodded, "Now then, back to business. Is he here?"

"Aye, just take a look at the nest." Blackbeard said pointing above at the ship's crow's nest. Craning their necks, they could see a scared, sweating man dressed in what was once royal clothes tied to the mast with little to nothing under his feet.

"You hid the prince in plain sight." Nicholas observed, "Nicely done, old friend. I like it."

"I was inspired by the methods we normally use in our line of work." he waved off with a grin.

"He has no idea why he's here, does he?" Robin asked smiling at Eric's expression.

"He'll find out soon enough." Blackbeard replied, "I believe we've waited long enough and sailed our far enough. What say you, lads?"

"I think you're right." Nicholas nodded, "Let's show him what happens when someone catches the League's attention."

After the zombies brought the prince down, he was brought before the three Gentlemen on his knees. "Do you know why you're here, your highness?" Nicholas asked.

"I-I-I assume yo-you wish to trade me for my kingdom's riches?" Eric asked nervously.

"You mean, the riches you stole in order to flaunt away on pleasurable company as you and your men sailed on your 'expedition?'" Blackbeard asked as the prince's eyes widened in shock, "The taxes you collected from your people in their best and worst times in order to satisfy your desires and keep them under wraps."

"Along with paying off their employers and taking them with you to sell off to the highest bidder." Robin added while Nicholas glared at him while smoking his cigar.

"That alone was enough to grab our attention, you filthy pig." he spat.

"And the last thing we want to hear is any of your pathetic excuses." Robin informed as Eric tried to compose himself, "I feel bad for that mermaid girl. You know, she actually thought you loved her? You should have seen her face when Teach told her you were dead."

"Listen," he said, "If you let me go, I can give you anything, or any girl you want. Just name me your preferred features and I can easily get you three-no, four of each."

"Is he trying to buy us off?" Nicholas asked his comrades.

"Aye, that he is." Teach nodded resisting the urge to run him through with his sword, "Apparently, he believes that we need money and slave trading to get into bed with beautiful women like he does."

"Oh, dear," Nicholas muttered shaking his head in disappointment, "That right there has put you in an even worse predicament, Eric. But, there is a way for you to escape your fate."

"There is?" he asked in hope.

"Aye," Teach replied, "You see, I like to give my prisoners a fair chance at freedom. If you can escape, you may live. But if you fail,"

"Then you die." Nicholas growled as his cigar flared.

Given his chance, Eric put all of his strength in rowing away in the boat he was given. He had managed to put in a great distance from the Revenge; or so he thought. At the bow of the ship, Nicholas, Robin and Teach stared out at the boat with cold expressions.

"At the ready." Blackbeard said calmly.

With an arrogant and triumphant laugh, Eric thought he was going to get away. Only he was far off from that.

"Fire." Teach said with a wave of his hand. In an instant, two cannons beneath the ship's figurehead let loose a fiery inferno that managed to reach Eric just before he escaped its reach and began to roast him alive. After a few moments, the fire stopped and everyone watched the boat become engulfed in flames.

"Again!" he roared before watching the flames take the boat without mercy.

"I love this job." Nicholas madly whispered as he let loose smoke from his mouth.

"For the glory of the League, gentlemen." Robin said gazing out at the flames.

"For the glory of the League." they nodded.


	34. Bleeding Through a Curious Thing

**Alright, folks, here we go again! Now before we get to the good stuff, I have something to say regarding what happened last chapter. Yes, I have decided to pair Hook with Ariel. Why? Because if you ask me, a pirate and a mermaid falling in love makes a better story for those two; especially seeing as I made Eric a sleaze bag and a sex slave trader and I had him burned alive. Don't worry, though, Hook will still be around and I'll try to give Ariel some screen time when it's appropriate.**

 **Also, yes, both Blackbeard and Robin Hood are members of the League as well. In other words, Blackbeard will have a better role than he originally did in the show and will make more appearances when we get to the saga involving the League. But when it comes to Robin...it really depends on what they're gonna do with this alternate version of him they showed before the winter hiatus. If he's completely different than how he was before he "died" I'm not including him in that saga or even having him in the League. But if he stays close enough to before and they make it interesting, then he'll be included.**

 **But that's a big if. I'll give my answer once season 6 is over.**

 **Anyway, it's time to get on with the story. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT or LXG.**

The next day, Zelena decided to pay her younger sister a visit while Rumple made off with her heart. Given that Regina hadn't been killed yet, she was more concerned than ever not knowing what it was exactly Zelena's plans for it were. That night, she decided to call over the Charmings, Hook, Emma and Nicholas to witness what she had in store for seeking answers.

Nicholas and Hook tried to ignore Snow and David's argument over the name for their baby but were having a hard time considering how annoying they were. As he resisted the urge to bang his head against the table, Regina came in with a pot of tea.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was making this special tea." Regina said as she poured it into each of the goblets in front of everyone. As soon as David's was poured, he tried to take a drink only to be stopped by the mayor. "No! Don't drink it. It's a deadly poison for summoning the dark vortex."

"I prefer Earl Grey." he remarked as he put back the glass.

"Damn," Nicholas muttered as Emma elbowed him, "So close."

"I'm sorry, what are we summoning?" Hook asked.

"Zelena came by this morning while the dark one was stealing my heart; she was here gloating." Regina informed, "She said that my weakness was that I don't know enough about her past, so I've decided to summon someone who does. We have to talk to my mother."

"Well," Nicholas bluntly thought, "I most certainly have mixed feelings about this."

"It's a fairly simple ritual but not often performed."

"If it's easy to talk to the dead, why not do it more?" Emma asked.

"Well, because to do it, you need the murder weapon and…the murderer." she replied indicating to the candle and Snow. Nicholas gave a quick snap of his fingers and lit both sides of the candle.

"What do we need to do?" Emma asked.

"Focus on Cora." Regina replied as everyone held hands.

"Welcoming thoughts." Hook sighed.

"Whatever you got." Nicholas shrugged.

As they sat in silence, the wind began to pick up and howl around them. In a matter of seconds, a vortex opened above them and sucked in the air around them. "Holy crap, it worked." Nicholas blurted.

"Cora?" Regina called, "Mother, can you hear us? Cora, give us a sign."

But no answer came.

"Do not ignore me now, Mother." she said dryly, "Please. You owe Nicholas and me this."

All of a sudden, the table shook and startled everyone as the portal closed; except Hook. "Sorry, love." he apologized, "That was me. I crossed my legs and bumped the table."

"Nice going, pirate." Nicholas said dryly while his sister blew out the candle, "Should we try it again?"

"No. There's no point." she sighed, "It worked. The portal opened, but nothing came from it. She doesn't want to talk to us. Guess whatever secrets lie in her past, she wants to keep buried there."

"Like mother like son." Nicholas thought as everyone rose from their seats.

"Maybe Belle will have more luck. There has to be something that can help us." said David.

"Right." Emma agreed, "My magic gets more powerful every day. By the time this all goes down, I'll be ready."

"Make sure you are." Regina said looking downcast.

"Come on, let's go." Emma said reading the room.

"You know what? Go ahead." Snow spoke up, "I'm gonna stay and talk to Regina and Nicholas. I'll help clean up."

"Neither of us are in the mood for a heart-to-heart; especially from you of all people." Nicholas flatly informed as the others left.

"I'm not sure that's physically possible for either of you right now." she retorted dryly. Surprisingly, this managed to get a light chuckle from the siblings.

"You can help with the tea cups." Regina offered. Unbeknownst to any of them as they entered the den, the entrance before the front door disappeared in a shroud of magic. In the kitchen, Snow finally decided to say something.

"I want to apologize to you; both of you. For Cora, for-"

"Murdering her?" Regina asked.

"Right." Snow nodded, "And for betraying you, Nicholas."

"Do you, now?" he asked with his back turned.

"Yeah." She nodded, "I don't take either lightly. I think about them every day."

"…So do we." Regina replied, "And when I think about it, I remember that she did kill your mother. So I'll admit that it's complicated."

"I have something I want to ask you." Nicholas said as he threw down the towel in his hands, "Were we ever actually friends? Or was I just a tool you used to escape her? And I want the truth."

Snow looked at the counter in shame before giving him the answer that was long overdue. "…At first…yes, I used you to get away from Regina." she confessed, "I was scared, and alone and I had just lost everything; I didn't know who I could trust. But when you saved Red from those hunters and allowed us to escape…I realized that you weren't like your sister. But as time went on, I became arrogant and self-absorbed, only thinking about how I was going to take back what was mine. And when we came back from the Enchanted Forest and Emma tried to give Regina another chance…I got scared."

"And why's that?" Nicholas calmly asked.

"Because no matter how many times I kept giving you chance after chance after chance, you always used them to try and find a way to ruin what I had." she replied looking at Regina, "I was afraid that it was going to happen all over again, and last time, I lost so much more."

"And what did that have to do with not trusting me?"

"I knew you had no say in the matter," Snow continued not looking him in the eye, "But from the moment I saw you after Emma broke the curse, I could just hear this voice in my head saying, 'He failed you. He did nothing to stop her. He's the reason you lost your daughter.'"

Nicholas resisted the urge to throw the nearest knife at her, but he wanted to know where the ex-princess was going with her explanation. "I didn't want to think of you like that. I really didn't, but I just couldn't help but blame you. Even after everything you had done before, I couldn't help but resent you for not stopping the curse."

"Hmm," he hummed looking at the ground, "I understand that more than you know. Every time I saw…Mary Margaret, I felt so guilty. Even more so for what I did to Emma in not acting against Regina casting the curse. Because I didn't do anything, I condemned her to a life away from her family; and I know exactly how painful a life like that is. You had every right to resent me, Snow."

"But that doesn't excuse the fact that I purposely tried to turn everyone against you." she argued, "I let loose my anger at you and took it too far. I wanted both of you to know what it felt like to be in my shoes…to lose everything. I let my hatred control me…and in the end I threw away our real friendship. I am so sorry, Nicholas."

"…In all honesty…I should be used to it by now." he confessed looking distraught, "I should be used to my 'friends' betraying me."

As he said this, the sound of eerie squeaking came from upstairs. "What was that?" Snow asked.

"I have no idea." Regina replied.

"Let me guess, we're going to go upstairs and check it out without having a single idea what it is, aren't we?" Nicholas dryly asked as the two women headed upstairs. Once they made it to the hall, they approached the door that has the squeaking behind it.

"It's in there." Regina said as she reached to open it, "There isn't anything in this room, it's-"

As soon as she grabbed the doorknob, the door flew off its hinges and reveled a hooded specter turning a spinning wheel hauntingly. Noticing the trio, the specter turned around and showed that it was a much younger Cora.

"Mother?" Nicholas asked.

"T-this can't be. The spell opened a limited portal for talking." Regina stressed.

"Well, this just proves that even in death, Mother still plays by her own rules." Nicholas dryly sweatdropped.

"It's me." said Snow, "I killed Cora. She sensed my presence and found a way to bleed through into our world."

"Since when are you an expert on paranormal crap like this?" Nicholas bluntly asked just before Cora lunged at the pregnant woman.

"Watch out!" Regina cried as she got in the way, "Back down, Mother. You will answer my questions. Now, tell me. What did you do to Zelena?"

Instead of answering, Cora just threw her daughter aside and tried to get Snow. Thankfully, Nicholas stepped in with his gloved hands ready to snap.

"Never thought I'd be doing this again." he bluntly thought. Before either could make a move, Regina used her magic to poof them downstairs to the den. But as soon as they were about to breathe, Cora burst through the wall in an attempt to grab Snow only to be held back by Regina's magic.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold her off." Regina warned.

"Cora, I'm sorry. Please forgive me!" Snow pleaded.

"Save your breath." Nicholas dismissed, "You mother was nothing like ours. She only understands power and weakness."

"But if she wants to kill you, she's gonna have to go through us!" Regina spat earning a confused look from Snow, "This isn't about you. This is about her and us."

"It's time for answers, Mother." Nicholas demanded as Cora broke free, "What did you do to Zelena?!"

But Cora just smacked her children aside and dove into Snow's body, enveloping her in magic as she entered a trance. With Cora's soul inside her, she was able to see everything Cora wanted to show her. From her being tricked by a liar, to carrying his baby and being abandoned by him to meeting and falling in love with her father to having everything taken from her by her mother out of petty, selfish reasons and wanting to be married to her father instead and eventually giving up Zelena.

"Hold on." Regina said getting to her feet, "I won't let you go."

Pulling the ghost out, Regina re-summoned the portal and pushed Cora back in. The only issue left was trying to bring Mary Margaret back from the trance Cora had her in. And for some random reason, Emma, Hook, Belle and David barged in as soon as Cora was gone.

Impeccable timing, right?

"What the hell was that?!" Emma exclaimed.

"Cora." Regina replied, "Is she okay?"

"Mary Margaret, can you hear me?" David asked.

"Cora," Snow weakly moaned, "Not what we thought. She's trying to communicate."

"She was?" Nicholas asked, "What'd she say?"

"Leopold, my…mother…my mother."

"Shh. Mary Margaret, relax." David soothed.

"She's not making sense. We need to call a doctor." Emma recommended.

"If she knows something that could help us-"

"Regina, it's gonna have to wait." David cut off.

"It can't wait!" she and Nicholas snapped.

"If we want to stop Zelena, we have to know what the hell she's doing and why!" Nicholas yelled.

"I can help with half of that." Belle offered, "She's planning on going back…back in time."

"Are you certain?" Regina asked, "No one's ever been able to cast a spell to go back in time."

"Well, clearly, she thinks she can succeed. I mean, brains, courage, a resilient heart; those ingredients are in every time-travel spell I've found." Belle replied.

"But why go back in time?" David asked, "I mean, we have no idea what she's trying to accomplish."

"I do." Snow informed as she came to, "She-she didn't-she didn't want to give up Zelena. She was forced to by-by my mother, Princess Eva. She told a secret…just like I did."

"Wait. I thought our family were the good guys." Emma argued.

"Life is too messy for it to ever be that simple." Nicholas remarked.

"You're saying if it wasn't for Snow's mother, Cora would have kept Zelena?" David asked.

"She would have been tutored by Rumplestiltskin." Belle added.

"All if it weren't for this Princess Eva?" Hook asked.

"So that means…"

"Zelena's going back to kill my mother." Snow finished.

"You'll have never been born." Regina gasped.

"I'm guessing this is where your help ends."

"Hon, think this through." said Nicholas, "It also means that you'll never have been born, and neither will Henry, and neither will Regina or I."

"It's a good thing no one has ever succeeded with this time-travel nonsense." Hook commented.

"The baby." David realized, "That's what's missing. That's why none have succeeded. Somehow, some way, our baby is the key. Zelena went to a lot of effort to get close to our unborn child. That's what she's after."

"What is she going to do with it?" Snow asked.

"It doesn't matter. She's not gonna get it. We're gonna stop her. Since our baby's not born, she's stuck, and we have what we need: time." David reminded.

"Just not very much of it."

Later on while the siblings were cleaning up their mother's mess, Snow once again decided to step in to have another conversation. "Need a hand?" she asked.

"Shouldn't you be on bed rest?" Regina asked.

"Dr. Whale just left. He cleared me and the baby. Apparently, the human body has a surprising tolerance for ghost possession." Snow informed, "And he told me I have a tough placenta, which somehow came out creepy."

"Everything that guys says comes out creepy." Nicholas remarked.

"Do either of you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"What's there to talk about?" Regina asked, "You officially have a less-damaging relationship with our mother than we do. And you killed her."

"Well, at least we know, you and me, our history, it's more complicated than we thought."

"I know how much you looked up to Eva. I'm sorry you had to learn she had such darkness in her past." Regina consoled.

"That wasn't the woman I knew. It makes me wonder what happened that changed her. I suppose I'll never know."

"Something tells me that she never changed," Nicholas thought, "Only kept her act until the end."

"Well, we can never know our past completely. If we had, I probably wouldn't have spent so much time trying to kill you." Regina added with a smirk.

"Well, we would've found something to fight about." Snow argued with a smile of her own, "I mean, I was such a brat."

"Your mother's child." Nicholas joked.

"I think we've wasted our last day being haunted by the past." said Snow.

"Now we can focus on being haunted by our impending lack of a future/past." he dryly remarked.

"Zelena isn't going to win, not with all of us united against her." Snow argued.

"Hope isn't easy when I know she holds my heart." Regina retorted.

"Which you'll get back, stronger than ever. That's what it means to be the most resilient."

"That could be another one of her tricks, too."

"Regina, I've seen what life has thrown at you. And you still fight against the darkness every single day. Sooner or later, your heart will find its way to happiness."

"That doesn't feel possible." Regina lightly chuckled.

"I disagree." Nicholas countered, "Sis, I know you better than anyone, and you feel things deeply; with or without your heart."

The next morning, everyone decided to meet in the inn's living room to further discuss their next plan of attack against Zelena.

"There's one thing about all of this that I don't understand." Emma said, "Regina."

"I'm the point of this." she reminded, "So she can take my life for herself."

"Yes. But why bring you back to Storybrooke? Why bring any of us?"

"Well, no one's ever succeeded at traveling through time. Perhaps something from this world makes it possible." Nicholas offered as he smoked.

"But what's almost as troubling is that she was able to cast the curse to bring us all here in the first place." Regina added.

"Why is that?" Emma asked.

"To do it, you have to give up the thing you love most. From what I gather, Zelena doesn't love much." Regina explained, "Nicholas, was there anything you know that might help us on this?"

"Um, no. Sorry, I-I left way before anyone even brought up anything involving another curse. I'm as in the dark about how you guys managed to get here as the next guy." he replied before thinking, "Not even the League knows how it happened."

"Zelena's smart, strategic. Perhaps we discovered something in the missing year to stop her." David suggested.

"And then the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us back here and wipe our memories." Hook continued, "So if we get out memories back, we might already know how to defeat the bloody witch."

"We just need to break this curse." David nodded.

"Well, thank goodness we have a savior." Snow praised.

"I would love to, but there's one problem. Last time, all it took was me believing in magic and kissing Henry. Since I've been back, I've done both and nothing." Emma replied.

"It's the belief." Regina realized, "Henry, he needs to believe. In this new life, he doesn't. We have to get him to believe again."

"So, what? We put on a magic show?" Emma asked.

"How did you believe?" Regina asked.

"The storybook." she replied.

"That's what started Henry on his original path and what got you to believe; it's the key. In him believing, in him remembering…remembering everything."

"That's not necessarily a gift. He's been through a lot of tough stuff." Emma argued.

"And some good stuff." both Nicholas and Regina shot back.

"Either way, it's our bet." Regina stressed.

"She's right." Snow softly said to Emma.

"I know." she nodded, "Let's find it."

"Gold's was a dead end." David informed as he put away his phone, "That was Belle. No book in the shop."

"Regina, you said the last place you saw it was in Henry's room?" Snow asked.

"Yes, but it's not there. It was swept away by the last curse."

"A book can't just disappear." David remarked.

"That's what you have to say?" Nicholas asked flatly, "After all the crap we've been through, you draw the line at a book randomly disappearing?"

"But it can just appear." Snow said before David could give his retort, "The first curse. It just showed up in my closest when I needed it or more accurately, when Henry needed it."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"He was going through a rough time. He was realizing he had been given up. He didn't feel like he had a real family."

"He did." Regina scoffed.

"That may be, but, Regina, he wasn't feeling that way with you, Nicholas or with anyone. He needed to believe in happy endings again. That's what the book gave him." Snow explained.

"Well, he needs to believe again." Regina stressed, "In fact, I think we all do. What do you say we go check your closet?"

With their plan ready, everyone headed out through the diner while Emma stopped to tell Henry she was heading out. "Hey, kid. I got to run. I got to check on a lead. You okay to stay here longer?" she asked before kissing his head and leaving him with Leroy, "Call you later."

After they exited the diner, Henry came out after his mother. "Where are you really going?" he asked.

"I told you. I'm following a lead." she repeated shocked at his attitude.

"What lead?" he asked with a glare.

"It's my job. It's complicated."

"Is this about the person who killed my dad?"

"…Yes." she admitted.

"Then tell me." he snapped.

"I-it would be just easier once it's all solved, Henry."

"You've been lying to me ever since we got here. I deserve to know everything." Henry demanded.

"No, you don't!" Emma snapped, "I'm you mother, and I know best! So you're just gonna have to deal with this for now, okay? Understood?"

"I actually found that kinda hot." Nicholas thought in surprise.

"Yeah, I-I think I do." Henry replied as Emma was about to leave, "Wait. I-I need your keys. I left mine in the room, and if I'm gonna be a prisoner, I'd like to have my GameBoy."

Emma did so and followed the others back to the loft unaware that Henry fell into his old habit of running off when he wasn't supposed to. Once they arrived, they found themselves "enjoying" themselves as they dug through all of Snow's clothes and shoes.

"Why do women always keep their shoes boxes?" David asked.

"Because after true love, there is nothing more powerful than footwear and it must be protected." Snow informed from the closet.

"Any sign of the book?" Nicholas asked.

"No, I don't think it's here." David replied.

"You don't know that." Snow called.

"Maybe it's in this thing." Emma said as she brought out a wooden box. When she opened it, all she found were clothes, "It's not in here.

"Hang on. Let me check." Snow said before miraculously pulling the book out.

"I don't understand." Emma said in shock.

"Can I see that?" Regina asked, "I know there are chapters on Oz in here. I want to know whose heart Zelena crushed to enact this curse. Because if there's something she loved, that's her weakness."

After the others left, it was just Emma and her mother sitting on the bed. "Did you really not see it in there?" Snow asked.

"You think I'm lying?" Emma asked.

"No, of course not. It's just…Emma, what's going on?" she asked, "You have been so anxious since we left Granny's."

"Nothing."

"No, it's not nothing. You yelled at Henry. That's not like you."

"None of this is like me, at least it never used to be." Emma retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Snow asked in concern.

"I am talking about wicked witches and time-traveling holy wars. I'd forgotten what it was like here." Emma said in distaste, "I don't want that for Henry."

"So you're taking him back to New York after this is all over with, aren't you?" Snow asked softly, "Your father said you're thinking about it."

"Yeah, I am."

"And that is why you looked relieved when we couldn't find the book. You don't want his memories back."

"If getting his memories back is the only wat to break the curse, then that's what we're gonna do. But I don't want it to be any harder on him than it has to be. Our life in New York was really good."

"I'm sure it was, but it wasn't home." Snow argued feeling sad at the thought.

"It was for us."

"Well, that's because you forgot about us." she shot back causing her daughter to stop talking, "Have you told Nicholas?"

"…No." Emma whispered.

"Why not? Don't you think he deserves to know you three are going back?"

"No, because…I…I don't know if I want him to come with us." Emma admitted.

"Why?" Snow asked in shock, "I thought things were going great between you two."

"Yeah, even though all he's ever done since this relationship started is lie to me." Emma snapped, "He's refused to tell me where he was before Gold killed Pan, he's refused to say why he came to New York and he keeps trying to change the subject every time I bring any of those up. How can I trust him if he can't even answer a few questions and lie to me?"

"Emma," Snow said gently taking her hand, "I have known Nicholas a long time and while he has a lot of secrets, he cares about you so much. It's who he is. To be honest, he's always been like that. Even when he first came to live in the castle he would bury himself in his research and at often times disappear for even months on end. But just because he has secrets doesn't mean he isn't the man that has shown you nothing but friendship and love since you came here."

"…Let's go get Henry." was all Emma said before leaving the loft. As everyone waited for Emma to come back with Henry in the diner, they noticed her alone when she came back down. "He's gone."

"What do you mean he's gone?" Regina asked.

"I mean he's not in the room, he's not in the parlor, and my keys are gone-my car keys." she replied.

"Figures. Even with his memories gone, the kid still runs off when told otherwise." Nicholas remarked.

"Give me something of his. I'll try a locator spell." Regina said.

"I'm way ahead of you. I've got GPS on his phone." Emma said checking her phone, "He's at the docks."

At the docks, Henry was trying to find a boat for him to sail to New York with. As the snow covered everything in sight, Henry failed to notice Sawyer behind him.

"A bit chilly to head out in the water, eh?" he asked startling the boy.

"Who are you?" Henry asked.

"Name's Tom. I'm a friend of Nicholas." he introduced, "From what I hear, you and Killian have been having some fun sailing since you arrived. Think you're ready to do it on your own?"

"I just want to leave." Henry replied.

"Why's that?"

"It's complicated. My mom and Nicholas keep lying to me about what's going on here." he said at his wits end, "Neither of them will tell me about who kill my dad and they just keep dumping me with their friends. I deserve to know the truth!"

"Yeah, you probably do." Sawyer nodded taking a seat on the nearest bench, "Thing about those two, though, I think they're just looking out for ya."

"I know." Henry huffed as he joined him, "But he was still my dad. I should know who it was that killed him now that I can't even get to know him."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Sawyer said as he noticed something flying in the sky while reaching for his revolver, "Something tells me, you'll know soon enough."

As it came closer, the flying monkey let out a terrifying screech. Henry heard this and looked up in fear.

"Kid, get in the boathouse; now." Sawyer said pulling out his weapons.

"What is that thing?" Henry asked as he scrambled inside. Within seconds, more monkeys came after them and flew into the building.

"Whatever happens, don't look back. Keep running." Sawyer advised as Henry was immobilized by fear, "Henry, go!"

With the skill that earned him a spot in the League, Sawyer easily shot down the apes causing them to disintegrate into ash. As Henry tried to get away, he tripped over a pile of rope and fell to the ground. A monkey then tried to go in for the kill, but Emma and the others came in and made quick work of the rest; Emma with her gun, Nicholas with his gloves, David with his sword, Robin with his crossbow, and Regina with her fireballs.

"Henry! Are you okay?" Emma asked as she helped him up.

"Yeah, what were those things?!" he asked frantically before noticing David's weapon, "Why does he have a sword?"

"It's all gonna make sense in a minute. I promise." Emma soothed.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry I was keeping things from you. You were right. You deserve to know the truth." Emma said holding the book in her hands.

"About fairytales?" he asked skeptically, "I don't understand."

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes, of course I do." he nodded.

"Then I need you to believe."

"Believe in what?"

"Believe in magic."

"From a book?!"

"It's more than just a book." Emma gently said, "Do you believe in me?"

"…Yes."

"Then take it."

With reluctance, he did and as soon as his fingers touched the cover, all of his true memories came flooding through his mind. Looking at everyone with familiar eyes, Henry exhaled.

"Mom?" he asked looking at Regina and Nicholas, "Uncle!"

With their Henry back, the siblings hurried over and pulled him into an embrace they've waited over a year for.

"Do it, Emma." Regina urged, "Break the curse."

Before she could place her lips on his head, Henry vanished and reappeared across the room in Zelena's arms. "I'm so sorry to interrupt. Now, who wants to say goodbye first?"

"Who are you?!" Henry asked.

"You can call me Auntie Zelena." she joked.

"Enough of this." Regina growled before being tossed aside by her sister.

"Guys, I have the shot." Sawyer muttered to his fellow members.

"Don't, she has the boy!" Nicholas belayed quietly before speaking up, "Let him go. He has nothing to do with this."

"Maybe." Zelena shrugged, "But I was getting tired of waiting for you lot to cough up that baby. So then I thought, 'Why not amuse myself by getting rid of my little siblings' brat'?"

"Mom!" Henry choked. Seeing her son in distress, Emma focused all of her magic to shine a burning, white light on Zelena which caused her to let Henry go.

"No!" Zelena cried, "Enjoy this moment together, 'cause you don't have many left!"

"Now!" Nicholas shouted as he, Sawyer and Robin fired their attacks. But before they could reach, the witch transported herself away in a puff of green smoke. Once she was gone, Henry rushed over to his other unconscious mother.

"Mom. Mom! Mom, please, wake up!" Henry pleaded before she finally came to.

"Henry." Regina whispered before rising to her feet and pulling him into another tight hug, "I will never let you go away again. I promise. I love you, Henry."

When she pressed her lips against her son's forehead, a wave of magic engulfed the town and allowed everyone to remember what exactly happened to them in the previous year.

"It wasn't me. It was you." Emma realized, "Mary Margaret, David, Hook, did it work? Do you remember the missing year?"

"Aye. Everything." Hook nodded before looking at Nicholas, "Mate, when this is all over, I'm buying you all the beer you can drink."

"I take it that you and Ariel are happy then?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

"Hell yes." chuckled the pirate.

"How did Zelena cast the curse?" Emma asked her parents.

"She didn't, Emma. We did." Snow replied.

"You cursed yourselves?" Emma asked.

"Zelena's weakness is light magic. I mean, it's clear now, more than ever, you are the only one who can defeat her."

"That's why we paid the price of Regina's curse, to find you." David nodded.

"The price of the curse is the heart of the thing you love most. If one of you cast it, how are you both still here?"

"I was the one who cast the curse." Snow informed, "After Zelena added a forgetting potion, I asked Regina to split my heart so that your father could live. And it worked."

"Okay, just when I thought things couldn't get any more confusing." Emma muttered, "Speaking of which, who was that guy with Henry? Do you know him?"

"Um, no." Snow replied, "I've never seen him before. Not even in town."

"Hey!" David shouted as he spotted Sawyer trying to make a break for it. As he ran, Regina narrowed her eyes and flicked her hand.

"Not so fast." she said willing a rope to wrap around his ankle as he tried to jump over a fallen boat. But as soon as it wrapped around him, he quickly turned in midair and pulled out a hunting knife cutting the rope with ease before sliding to a stop.

"Alright, pal, who the hell are you?" Emma asked as she and the others readied their weapons. From behind the others, Robin and Nicholas nodded at him giving him the all clear.

Without saying a word, Sawyer reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small sparkling piece of coal and crushed it in his hand. Once it was rendered to dust, he threw it at his feet and became enveloped in a cloud of black smoke before disappearing like Zelena just minutes before.

"Okay," David sighed, "That was random."

Later that day, Emma decided to take Henry to visit Neal's grave with her parents. As they did, Nicholas gave them space to pay their respects with Robin at his side.

"This is not good, Robin." he muttered, "We've risked exposure."

"I know." the archer nodded, "Sawyer made the right call in keeping an eye of Henry, but he lingered too long after Zelena left. The director will not be pleased."

"Oh, come on." Nicholas groaned, "When is he ever pleased with anyone from my branch?"

"Fair point, I'll admit." Robin shrugged, "He does seem to dislike your team more than any other branch. Ever since what happened to Henry and Edward, he's really been looking for reasons to punish you and the others."

"Have you heard anything about them?" he asked in concern, "Anything at all?"

"Sorry, old friend. They're right where they've been since they left."

"I hate that they keep blaming themselves for what happened." Nicholas sighed, "We were all to blame for what happened."

"I'm sure one day they'll come around." Robin assured patting his back. Just then, they heard a faint outcry from Snow as she clutched her swollen stomach.

"Contact the others and ready your men. This needs to go accordingly." Nicholas calmly ordered.

"You think it will work?" Robin asked in doubt.

"We will succeed." Nicholas nodded, "For the glory of the League."

"Hmm." Robin nodded, "For the glory of the League."


	35. There's No Place Like Home

**Okay, this one may come off as a bit rushed. As you know, the last three episodes of S3 revolved around Hook and Emma. But seeing as that was because of their pairing and I'm not doing that for this story, I had to make a few tweaks so this will be comprised of all three into one. That being said, I hope you all enjoy like always!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT.**

As Snow was being brought into the hospital, Zelena loomed over Rumple as he spun his gold in his cage. Once she saw that it had piled up in a lump, she had him stop.

"That's enough. You said it yourself. Spinning clears your mind."

With a wave of her hand, the lump molded together and took on the appearance of a brain made out of solid gold. "Or should I say your brain?" she asked as she put it away with the other ingredients, "There's just one more ingredient to collect."

While David was giving his support to his wife, Emma and Regina were readying a protection spell through the hall and around the room. "You really think this protection spell will be enough to hold off Zelena?"

"It depends if your brand of magic is stronger than hers." Regina replied, "If it is, no one wielding dark magic will be able to get in here."

"That doesn't sound like a vote of confidence." Emma pointed out.

"It isn't. But we're out of options."

As they made their preparations, everyone could hear Leroy shout from outside, "Incoming!"

At the front desk, Robin, his best archers, and Hook had their bows and sword aimed at the front door where they saw Zelena and Rumple approach. "Aim true for Little John!" he shouted before Zelena effortlessly rendered them all unconscious. Up next was surprisingly Belle of all people.

"Oh, didn't you learn your lesson the last time?" Zelena asked as she held the dagger, "This is more powerful than your true love."

"I refuse to believe that."

"Belle, go." Rumple pleaded.

"Listen to him, dear."

"No. You've put him through enough pain!" Belle shouted.

"And I'm not nearly done!" Zelena snarled back before rendering her unconscious in Rumple's arms, "Your taste in women has really gone downhill. Leave her, dearie. Chop-chop!"

Up next to fend off against the witch and her pet were her younger siblings. "Take another step, and we roast you alive." Regina threatened.

"Please." Zelena sneered before waving Regina against the wall knocking her out while Nicholas kept his footing and covered his body in his shield. Rumple then threw a ball of raw magic at him but watched as it just bounced off the Ultimate Shield.

"That's not gonna work this time, imp." Nicholas growled with his voice sounding metallic.

"Keep him occupied." Zelena ordered in a bored tone as she walked past him.

"Let's end this." Nicholas growled.

"With pleasure, slave." Gold snarled as he summoned a sword and continued where they left off.

In the other room, Snow had just given birth to a healthy baby boy. For a brief moment, the family was happy, but Zelena ruined the moment by barging in. "What a charming family." she mocked as she froze David as he tried to ready his sword, "A shame that I have to break it up."

Before Snow could even blink, her newborn vanished from her arms and reappeared in Zelena's. "No. No, no, no, no-"

But as she tried to get to the baby, Zelena froze her like her husband. Gently rocking the baby, the witch softly spoke to him. "So pure and so innocent. And now…mine."

In a puff of smoke, both vanished with Gold following. When Nicholas could no longer smell him, he took down his shield and helped his sister up. As he did, they spotted David storm out of the room with an angry expression and his sword held in a tight grip.

"Where are you going?" Nicholas asked.

"To get my son back." he replied hotly.

"You're gonna get yourself killed." Regina warned, "David, think about this."

"What's there to think about?" he snapped.

"What's going on here?" Emma asked.

"Zelena took your brother."

"We're all still here, we haven't failed yet." Hook reminded.

"He's right. Come on." David nodded.

In an old barn on the outskirts of town, Zelena gently placed the baby in his basket as the other items were placed in specific spots pointing in different directions, north, south, east and west.

"There's nothing more innocent than a newborn babe. And you, my sweet, are the most innocent of all: the product of the truest love." Zelena explained before turning to talk to Rumple, "See, once I change the past, you and I shall meet under different circumstances. And, Rumple, you will choose me. And I will be enough."

"No, you won't." he disagreed, "And no matter where you go in time, I will find a way to kill you."

But Zelena just chuckled as she finally cast the spell she had been striving for for so many years. Each of the ingredients became enveloped in magic and funneled into the center of the circle opening the portal.

"Don't worry, dearie. Once all this is over, you won't remember a thing."

"It isn't over yet, sister dear." Nicholas denied as he and the others approached the barn.

"And who's gonna stop me?" Zelena asked before summoning the magic sealing cuff on Emma rendering her magic gone, "The Savior seems to be out."

"Get the baby." Nicholas whispered to David, "We've got your back."

"And I've got your heart." Robin said to Regina.

"Zelena, stop now. We're not gonna let you succeed." Regina declared.

"Rid me of those pests." she chuckled while knocking David, Hook and Regina against the wall.

"Oh, this gonna be fun." Nicholas smirked as he shielded his arms while Robin readied his crossbow.

"Get the dagger. Then the dark on will be on your side." Gold reminded.

"Easier said than done." Emma remarked.

"Do as I say, or I will destroy you both. I have no choice." he said as he pushed them back.

"Came for another beating, sis?" Zelena asked.

"No. I came here for some jewelry." Regina corrected before being tossed aside again.

"Beautiful one," Zelena called to one of her monkeys, "If you will?"

It then swooped down and sliced David's arm as Robin went over to give him support. "Remember, these creatures are our friends." he reminded the prince.

"Tell them that!" Nicholas shouted as he fought against Gold.

"Unfortunately, that's not an option for me." he remarked as he fought.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you would give me such treatment otherwise." Nicholas dryly said in sarcasm before turning to slam a jump-back kick to the dark one's stomach, "Can't say I would though."

Zelena then slammed everyone against the wall before picking Regina and Nicholas up by their throats with her magic. "Only light magic can harm me and Emma's is out right now." she hissed in spite, "Besides, you're as dark as they come. It was your destiny to be this way. And it will also be your undoing!"

"Don't tell me what I can be!" Regina spat.

"I don't believe in destiny." Nicholas choked.

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are!" Zelena snarled.

"You're wrong, sis." Regina denied. Next thing anyone knew or expected, her hands shined in a bright, magical light.

"What are you doing?" Zelena asked.

"Changing." she grinned before blasting her sister with light magic and knocking the dagger out of her hand.

"How?!" she asked in shock.

"I make my own destiny." Regina smirked as she ripped the pendant off removing Zelena's magic and closing the portal. In a last ditch effort, the monkey tried to finish off David, but just before he could take off its head, it returned to its human form.

"Little John, you're back!" Robin cheered as he helped his friend up. As this happened, David went to check on his son.

"David, the baby. Is he okay?" Emma asked.

"Yeah." he nodded in relief and happiness, "He can handle anything. Just like his big sister."

"Well, big sis, looks like you failed." Nicholas mocked as he and Regina stood over Zelena.

"You're not going anywhere." Regina chuckled.

"I beg to differ." Gold growled as he pulled Zelena over to him across the ground, "I'm gonna make you pay for everything you've done to me."

"What are you waiting for?" Zelena asked while Regina picked up the dagger, "Just do it!"

"With pleasure." he hissed.

"No!" Regina ordered waving the knife, "Enough. This ends now."

"After everything this witch has done you're gonna protect her?" Rumple asked.

"Good magic stopped her. And good magic doesn't exact vengeance."

"She killed my son!" he shouted.

"Funny, I thought you were blaming me for that." Nicholas dryly commented, "Besides, the three of us don't exactly have the cleanest of hands, now, do we?"

"He's right." Regina agreed, "How many lives have we taken trying to get what we want?"

"You can't be serious."

"We are." she replied, "Heroes don't kill."

"So now you're a hero?" Zelena sneered.

"Today, I am." Regina smirked in triumph.

After successfully taking the witch down, Emma had her locked up in the station and left her to wallow in her failure. While everyone else went back to the hospital, the siblings were finally able to have a moment alone.

"Why?" Zelena asked behind the bars, "Why not just kill me and put me out of my misery?"

"Because we know why you did what you did." Regina replied while Nicholas sat on the couch next to the cell and cleaned his pipe, "Our mother ruined you, too."

"We have what you could call a 'family-trait.' We both know what it's like not to have the life you wanted…the life you feel you deserve." Nicholas explained trying to push back his painful memories.

"Oh, boo-hoo. Regina had to be queen." Zelena sneered before grabbing Nicholas by the collar and holding him against the cell looking into his eyes, "Do you have any idea what it's like to go through your life thinking and hearing everyone say that you're worthless and that you don't even exist?!"

Hearing her words sent a twinge through Nicholas's soul. He looked directly into his sister's eyes with his own widened in shock.

"To be spat at and treated worse than dirt instead of feeling kindness and love like all the other children! To know that no matter how hard you tried, they would never see you any differently! Do you have any idea what that feel like?!" she cried as tears formed in her eyes.

Regina looked at them wondering what was going through their minds. Despite having a rough life herself, she never had it as bad as they did. Nicholas, however, looked in Zelena's eyes and saw not only his traumatic life, but her own as well.

He slowly nodded his head and softly said, "As a matter of fact, I do."

As soon as he said this, Zelena's glared softened as she saw there was no lie in his eyes. He really did know what all that pain felt like; he went through it too. Her expression became unreadable, but it was clear that she was no longer angry at her youngest sibling. She then let go of his shirt and kept her eyes on him as he stood by his other sister.

"I was a lot like you, not long ago." Regina said breaking the silence, "I wanted to kill someone who wronged me, and I failed. Had I killed Snow White, I wouldn't be in this world. I wouldn't be with these people, and I wouldn't have my son, Henry. I won't kill you, Zelena. Instead, I'm gonna give you what I got. I'm gonna give you a second chance."

"What if I don't want it?" Zelena asked.

"Well, that would be a mistake, sister dear." she replied clutching the pendant, "Take it. Use it. Evil isn't born. It's made. But so is good. If I were you, I'd consider creating a new destiny. Because if you don't, I'll be right there to take your heart and crush it. Now if you'll excuse me, I should put this somewhere safe."

And that place was none other than one of the heart boxes Cora left in Regina's vault. Not long after they left, Zelena heard someone come back in while she had her back turned.

"I didn't expect to see you two back so soon." she said in irritation.

"Oh, there's just one of me, dearie, and I don't think you expected me at all." Rumple growled.

"What are you doing here?" Zelena asked with a scoff.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"You can't kill me, Rumple. I saw Regina take your dagger."

"She gave it to Belle."

"And she wants me dead." Zelena stated.

"No, of course not." Gold denied.

"Well, then, you'll have to do what she wishes. If she has the dagger, you have no choice."

"Yes." he nodded, "If she has the dagger. But she doesn't."

Seeing him pull it out from behind caused Zelena to rise to her feet in fear. "She only thinks she does. You see, um, my father taught me something, the only useful thing he passed on. A bit of sleight of hand called 'Follow the Lady.' Belle has a fake. This, however, is quite real."

In an instant, he was inside the cell with a murderous look in his eye. "Wait. Wait!" Zelena pleaded in fear, "I'm powerless now. R-Regina's got my pendant. My magic's gone. I can't hurt anyone! I can't. Why?"

"Because I promised my son his death would be avenged. And Rumplestiltskin never breaks a deal." he snarled before jamming the dagger into Zelena and turned her body into porcelain. When he ripped it out, she shattered into fragments before disintegrating into nothing.

In the vault, the box holding the pendant glowed green and began to emit green smoke which traveled across town to the barn and activated the time portal. Surprisingly, nobody realized this happened.

The next, the Charmings decided to throw a potluck at Granny's in celebration for the birth of their son where they would announce his name to the entire town. Everyone was laughing and toasting to the end of Zelena's plan as music filled the background. In their usual booth, Snow sat cradling her precious child while Henry read to him the story of how his parents met.

"Really? I can't hear the kid's name yet but I have to hear this story again?" Emma asked with a smirk.

"Well, my son should know where he comes from." David replied.

"You sure you want the first thing he knows to be that his parents fell in love during an armed robbery?" Nicholas joked.

"I wasn't armed." Snow defended.

"Except with a rock." Ruby reminded.

"I still have the scar." David added.

"Which healed." Snow said before cooing at the baby, "But that's just how we met, it's not how we fell in love."

"Yeah, that was a bit more complicated." David nodded turning the page, "See? There were black knights when I saved your mother's life."

"Oh, and the attack on the troll bridge when I saved his." Snow grinned turning the next page."

"But it wasn't until I saw my mother's ring on her finger that I knew in my heart there was no other woman I would ever love."

"I wish you had told me then. We would have saved so much time." Snow said with love.

"Well, how could I?" he asked, "I had to get to my wedding."

"Sorry. Have I missed something?" Hook asked with his arm around Ariel, "You were previously betrothed, mate?"

"To Kathryn." Ruby nodded, "Though, she was Princess Abigail back then."

"King Midas' daughter? The man who can turn anything into gold? Why would you leave that opportunity?" Hook asked.

"Hey!" Snow said.

"Killy!" Ariel admonished smacking his chest.

"Well, what can I say? My heart was destined for another." David replied.

"You just had to find her first." Ruby grinned, "She ran away and was living on a farm."

"Oh, it sounded like such a peaceful life at the time, leave everyone and everything behind." Snow said in nostalgia.

"Hold on!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Are we all just going to ignore that Hook was called 'Killy' in public and not make fun of him?!"

Everyone just gave the alchemist awkward glances as the music was the only thing that filled the air.

"…Okay." David carried hoping to change the subject, "Now that Nicholas has had his little Chandler Bing moment, back to the actual topic. Whose line is it?"

"Uh, mine, I think." Hook remarked before clearing his throat, "Right, I remember. Like mother, like daughter."

"Hook." Emma snapped.

"What is he talking about?" Henry asked.

"Uh, should we read more stories?" David suggested.

"Actually, I'd like to know what Killy is talking about." Nicholas disagreed.

"So would I." Regina nodded.

"It's nothing." Emma waved off.

"Are you planning on going back to New York with my brother and son?" Regina asked.

"Why would we go back to New York?" Henry asked.

"We're not." Nicholas replied, "Right, honey?"

"Actually, it's complicated." Emma said not looking anyone in the eye.

"Why would we leave? This is our home." Henry said.

"Henry, this isn't the time or place." Emma lectured.

"I think it is." Regina argued.

"No, it's not." Emma snapped.

"How about 30 seconds from now outside?" Nicholas asked narrowing his eyes. Emma just sighed and stepped outside with Nicholas following her, "So is there something you would like to discuss?"

"Not really." she sighed.

"Hmm, too bad." he flatly said, "Talk."

"Fine. Life in New York was good. Okay? There weren't any flying monkeys, wicked witches or fairytale characters going around causing trouble."

"That's what this is about?" Nicholas asked with his arms crossed, "You're against staying here because you think Storybrooke is dangerous; and you're comparing it to New York of all places?!"

"There weren't any evil teenagers out there who wanted to kidnap my son!" she retorted.

"He's in middle school! That's all he was surrounded by!"

"Well, excuse me for thinking the real world is a better place for me to raise Henry!"

"This is the real world, Emma!" Nicholas shot back, "Just because for some crazy reason everyone in this town is considered a fictional character to everyone past the town line doesn't mean that this is some kind of fake place. I don't know where the hell Walt Disney came up with all this, but we are real people and our lives had a lot of crap!"

"Nicholas-"

"I am not done!" he snapped shutting her up, "The world out there is a hell of a lot more dangerous place than Storybrooke and it's filled with more 'villain' than here, too. You just don't want to stay here because you're afraid that you'll finally open up to your parents."

"And what about you, huh?" she asked hotly, "You wanna stay here surrounded by all the people you said 'betrayed' you?"

"I'm trying to move past that and forgive them!" he countered, "This place is my home. My sister and all my friends are here, your family is here, and all of that is the same can be said for Henry on all accounts! You need to make a choice, Em. It's either Storybrooke with me and Henry or New York by yourself."

"You can't be serious." Emma deadpanned.

"Considering how I'm actually Henry's legal guardian and the records documenting that are back with the new curse, I am." he replied before heading back inside, "Let me know when you've made your decision."

"So how'd it go?" Robin asked when Nicholas came back. Nicholas's response was pointing a finger pistol to his head and pretending to shoot himself, "Wonderful."

"She'll come around." Ariel assured, "Hopefully."

"Ariel, Emma Swan is one of the most stubborn woman in all the realms." Nicholas bluntly remarked, "It will take A LOT to change her mind. But there's no other I'd rather be in love with. Uh, no offense, Ruby."

"None taken." she shrugged, "I've moved on."

"Congrats and ouch." he said dryly.

"Killy, why don't you go talk to her?" Ariel suggested, "You're good at this sort of thing."

"Alright." Hook nodded before leaving the diner.

"Wait." Henry stopped holding out the book, "Take this. It might help her remember where she belongs."

"It's gonna be alright." David assured the two boys, "She's just stubborn like her…uh, like all of our family."

"What the hell is that?" Nicholas asked seeing a beam of light shoot into the sky while Gold and Belle entered the diner.

"That is a problem." Gold informed, "That light is from Zelena's time portal. It's open."

"Ugh," Nicholas groaned in frustration, "It's just one thing after ANOTHER!"

Leaving the party, everyone but Henry and Snow went over to the station thinking they would find Zelena. But thanks to Gold, they found an empty cell instead.

"She's gone." David pointed out.

"No. She was here when Nicholas and I left her here." Regina argued.

"But if she escaped, that would explain the portal." Belle pointed out.

"That shouldn't have happened since we took her pendant, she powerless without it." Nicholas reminded, "She shouldn't have been able to escape. I sealed the door with my alchemy, she'd need a welding torch and laser cutter to get halfway through. Unless a certain midget with a vendetta against her did something."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint, but no." Rumple lied, "Even if I wanted to, Belle has my dagger. She would certainly curb any homicidal tendencies."

"It's true." she nodded.

"Well, if she escaped, let's find out how." David suggested checking the old security system.

"Wonderful." Gold muttered. As the tape replayed, he discreetly waved his hand and altered the video just before he came up.

"You know, when you guys remade this place, you could have brought it out of the 80s." Nicholas said to David dryly.

"Ah, shut up, Flamel." he muttered as he smacked the T.V., "Okay, here we go."

On the screen, everyone saw Zelena commit suicide and die the same way Gold killed her, only without him actually being there.

"She killed herself?" Nicholas asked as he felt a pain through his stomach.

"It would seem her great escape was of a more permanent nature." Gold remarked, "I won't ask for an apology."

"Don't expect one." Nicholas snapped still looking at the T.V.

"She must have had just enough residual magic to do herself in. And when she did, when she was gone, the magic in her pendant had no tether. It was set free her last wish fulfilled."

"So, how do we unfulfill it?" Robin asked.

"Excellent question. But until we figure it out, no one should go near it." Gold advised, "A trip to the past could have catastrophic repercussions."

"Good idea." Nicholas nodded, "David, you might want to call your daughter and let her know."

"Okay. But why don't you call her?" he asked.

"I am not talking to her until she gives me an answer." the alchemist huffed.

Later when night finally fell, Nicholas was sitting at the counter drinking probably his 23rd mug of beer (one of the many perks of his Stone made where he couldn't get drunk) with a sour look on his face.

"Hit me again, Granny." he said holding up the empty mug. As he waited for his drink, Emma suddenly barged into the diner and ran straight into her parents' arms.

"You never answered your cell, we were worried." David said still surprised.

"I'm fine. I'm home." she said.

"Do you mean that you're not leaving?" Snow asked.

"No, I'm not going anywhere." Emma said gaining both Henry and Nicholas's attention.

"We're staying in Storybrooke?" Henry happily asked.

"Yeah, kid. This is where we belong." Emma nodded hugging him, "This is where our family is. "Mom…Dad, I missed you."

As the family was in the happiest hug they ever had, Nicholas looked at them in fondness. It was moments like this that reminded him what he was fighting for and why he was making the sacrifices he was to protect these people.

"Got one for me?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nicky." Emma said still smiling throwing her arms around him and kissing his face repeatedly.

"Nicky?" David chuckled earning a glare.

"Don't poke the snake, Nolan." he warned.

"Don't you mean bear?" Henry asked.

"Not with my tattoo I don't." he replied, "The only person who can call me that is your mother. Uh, the blonde that's kissing me not the brunette."

As they all sat around the newly altered book (thanks to Hook and Emma's interference in the past) and laughed at how much of a change they made.

"Wait. You're Princess Leia?" Snow asked.

"Nice alias." Henry laughed.

"I was in a pinch." Emma defended smiling.

"Well, there you go. You're officially one of us." David smirked.

"A fairytale princess at last." Snow said smiling even wider than before.

"Yep, you're not just the ugly duckling anymore, Em." Nicholas grinned kissing her temple.

"What?" she asked causing her family to resist the urge to laugh.

"Well, think about it." he chuckled, "You spent your life trying to find your family because you know you didn't belong anywhere else, you felt lonely throughout your childhood, and to top it all off, your last name is Swan."

"He's got a point, Emma." David laughed. Emma could only blush harder than the color of her favorite jacket while Nicholas held her close.

"Boop." he teased tapping her nose and kissing her head.

"…I have nothing to say to that." Emma said trying to keep up her happy mood, "Changing the subject, as my first princess-y request, I would like to know the name of the baby."

"Right, that." David nodded looking at his wife, "Ready?"

"Yep." she nodded.

"Excuse me, if I could have everyone's attention for just a moment." David said to everyone, "This coronation ceremony is something we've looked forward to for a long time. The arrival of our new son has been the cause of great joy for our family. And we hope you can share in it as we name him for a hero. Someone who saved every one of us. Who we loved and he loved back."

"People of Storybrooke, it is our great joy to introduce you to our son, Prince Neal." Snow introduced. Everyone, including Nicholas, applauded for the happy couple and in respect to the man they lost.

"It's so nice to meet you, Neal." Emma said shaking his cute little hand. As the party went on, Nicholas couldn't help but stare at the woman Emma and Hook brought back from the past. He knew he had seen her before but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't place her face.

"You know," Emma said to Nicholas, "I never once saw you back in the past. What were you doing around then, babe?"

"Hmm, well…" Nicholas carried as he recollected what happened.

 **OUaT**

"Die, you sons of bitches!" Nicholas cried as he slashed his sword at an army of orcs at the summit of Mount Doom in Middle Earth while the other League members did the same with the armies of Rohan and Gondor around them.

 **OUaT**

"You know, I can't remember." he lied while looking at the woman, "Honey, who is that you brought back with you?"

"Oh, uh, somebody your sister planned to kill back in the past." she replied, "Why?"

"I know I have seen her before but I can't remember when or where." he said shaking his finger at her.

"Maybe you attended her execution. Who knows?" Emma shrugged while Regina, Robin and Roland came in and took a booth. When this happened, the woman spotted Regina and reacted in fear; and even did the same when she spotted Nicholas as well.

"It's the Evil Queen and her brother." she said in fear.

"It's okay." Emma assured, "They're different now. Regina is not the same person anymore. You'll see. Just stay here."

"This is driving me nuts." Nicholas thought, "Where have I seen this woman?"

"Regina, there's something you should know. I brought someone back from the past. This woman, and she still thinks of you as…"

"Evil." she finished.

"I'm gonna bring her over. I already told her that it's okay, but it's a little delicate. And I feel like if she met you, she'll see-"

"I understand." she nodded.

"I'll bring her over." Emma said hoping it would go well. When she brought her over, she went back over to Nicholas who was still trying to remember her.

"So have you remembered her yet?" she asked leaning against him.

"It's getting there." he replied, "I still can't believe that my sister is dating Robin Hood of Loxley of all people."

"Yeah, just when I thought this place couldn't get any-"

"I remember her." Nicholas said with a look of absolute panic of his face, "Oh, dear God I don't believe in, I remember her."

"You don't sound like this is a good thing." she pointed out.

"Oh, it is not." he said shaking his head, "It is very much not a good thing. Of all the people you could have brought back, that is the worst person imaginable."

"She brought back the mole. She brought back the mole. She brought back the freaking mole!" he screamed in his mind.

"Marian?" they heard Robin ask looking at the woman.

"Oh, damn." Emma cursed putting the pieces together.

"Marian?" he asked rising out of the booth.

"Robin?" she asked.

"I thought you were dead." he said in shock before hugging her tightly, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"And I you." she said happily.

"Mama?" Roland asked cutely while Regina's heart and world began to shatter.

"Roland?" Marian gasped holding him close, "Oh, my baby!"

"You." Regina whispered on the verge of tears glaring at Emma, "You did this."

"I just wanted to save her life." Emma said feeling nothing but guilt.

"You're just like your mother," she spat, "Never thinking of consequences."

"Regina, she couldn't have possibly known." Nicholas defended.

"Of course she couldn't." she growled, "Well, you just better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back."

At the barn in the center of the circle, a golden urn laid in the dirt from where the portal closed. The lid suddenly popped off and released a cold blue liquid from inside. As it left the urn, it moved on its own and slowly gathered itself while taking on the form of a human.

When it finally came together, a young, beautiful girl with blonde hair dressed in a blue dress removed her gloves and destroyed the urn with a blast of icy magic. With her prison gone, she walked out of the barn and made her way into Storybrooke.

Little did anyone know, winter was coming along with her.

 **Uh-oh! Things are picking up in Storybrooke! I wonder why Nicholas is so freaked out about Marian ;) Oh, and that whole Mole thing is in no way a racist comment, I'll revel what that's about in the next chapter or two; maybe three.**

 **Until next time!**


	36. White Out

**Sorry this took so long, I'm back to school and I am going to have a lot more work this semester than last. On the plus side, we've reached Season 4! Won't be long until we see the League in action after the Underworld.**

 **In response to one of my reader's review, Ali, here's my answer: Yes, I am using the same actors as the movie in 03. I know it's been a long time but it's almost hard to imagine anyone else playing those guys. In light of that, there's something else I want to add. When we get to more members being introduced, some of them will be based off of older personifications from older movies (like the end of the 90s on up) and will be played by those same actors unless I choose otherwise. But when it comes to new characters who haven't been played by anyone before, I'll list off whom is playing whom.**

 **Which reminds me, as of this moment, I am no longer in need of new characters for the League. I am grateful for all the suggestions I received and I look forward to including them in this story. You won't believe who I have in store for you guys; I am so excited!**

 **But without further delay, I present Season 4 of OUaT's The Evil Queen's Brother!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or LXG or their characters.**

After Regina's outburst, she stormed out of the diner to try and compose herself; though it was obvious she was failing. Naturally, both Nicholas and Emma went outside to try and give her their support.

"Regina," Emma said.

"Not now, Swan." she dismissed feeling broken.

"I'm sorry. When I brought Marian back, I didn't know who she was. I didn't intend to cause you pain." she defended.

"Well, your intentions really don't matter." Regina retorted, "Because once again, I've felt the brunt of heroism. Always the villain even when I'm not."

"What was I supposed to do?" Emma asked.

"You should've let that mole die!" Nicholas thought in panic.

"Well, you were dumb enough to travel through time. Maybe you should have left things well enough alone." Regina snapped.

"I am not gonna apologize for saving someone's life."

"She was supposed to die anyway. What did it matter?" she asked.

"What mattered was she was a person. And whatever she did, she didn't deserve to die." Emma argued.

"Well, maybe she did." she snapped.

"Well, you would know. I saved her from you."

"The woman who did that, that was the person I was, not the person I am." she said in anger, "I worked very hard to build a future; a future that's now gone."

"Sis, you don't know that." Nicholas argued feeling sorry for her.

"Well, I know it's complicated enough that his dead wife is back." she snapped.

"Regina, for that I am sorry." Emma apologized, "If there's anything I can do to help-"

"Swan, the more you try to help the worse my life becomes." Regina cut off.

"Marian," Robin said coming out with his wife, "Please, meet her. She's not at all what you think."

"What the hell is he doing?" Nicholas thought being weary around Marian.

"Regina, I-I want you to meet Marian." he awkwardly introduced, "I-I want us to talk about this."

"Wait, were you two…are you two together?" Marian asked.

"Marian, please." Robin sighed.

"You and the Evil Queen?" she asked in spite, "Did you let her near my son? Do you know what she's done? The terror that she's inflicted?"

"Is everything okay?" Snow asked as she, David and the baby came out to see what was going on.

"Well, no one's been incinerated yet, so that's a good sign." David commented.

"Regina, you alright?" Snow asked.

"What?" Marian asked in confusion as Henry, Hook and Ariel joined them, "What is wrong with you people? W-why are you talking to her? Don't you know who she is?"

"Mom, what's going on?" Henry asked.

"She's a monster." Marian spat pointing.

"Watch it, maid." Nicholas growled with his hands sparking in electricity. As he did, Regina had enough and decided to leave, "Regina, wait."

"Mate, don't." Hook warned, "You of all people know no good has ever come of pushing that woman. Give her space."

"Yeah, but it's what she does in that space I'm worried about." David remarked.

"You don't think she'll become evil again." Henry said seeing their expressions, "She can't. She's come too far."

"No one is turning evil. I'll handle this. Okay?" Nicholas asked, "Whatever happens, she's my sister and I'll take care of it."

The next day, Nicholas decided to join Emma and the others as they took baby Neal out for a morning stroll. Unfortunately, he was distracted by trying to get ahold of his sister.

"She's still not answering?" Henry asked.

"Nope." he sighed, "When your mother doesn't want to talk, kiddo, it means she really doesn't want to talk. Even with me."

As he said this, he received a video text from Skinner. Letting the others go on ahead, he pressed play and became paler than a ghost when he saw the footage with widened eyes. The video was showing Belle and Gold dancing in the ball room inside the League's mansion.

"…What. The. Hell?!" he screamed in his head before texting The Invisible Man back, "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING THERE?!"

"I have no idea!" Skinner cried, "I was just minding me business enjoying some private time in the mansion when suddenly the happy newlyweds barged in and began dancing!"

"Do the others know?!" Nicholas asked.

"No! No, no, no! Do not tell anyone that I allowed the bloody dark one into our base under my watch! Quartermain will kill me!"

"Oh, this is terrible!" Nicholas exclaimed still texting, "And I thought what happened last night was bad for us!"

"What happened last night?!" Skinner asked.

"Well, Zelena killed herself for starters and her dormant magic activated the portal. Then Emma and Hook somehow got sucked in and went back in time and brought back the worst person imaginable with them!"

"I know I'm going to regret asking, but who?"

"Robin's dead wife, Marian!" Nicholas texted in panic, "They brought back the mole!"

"WHAT?!" Skinner texted.

"Yeah, the woman who nearly ruined us by exposing the League to the public is back. And she's already seen me!"

"It gets worse." Skinner replied.

"How could it be worse?" Nicholas asked.

"I think-I think…Rumple may have spotted the hat box." he answered causing Nicholas to become even more pale.

"…Yep," he sighed, "The director is, without a doubt, going to kill us all if he finds out about this. Is there anything else anyone wants to add to the crap pile that is today?!"

"We're under attack!" Leroy cried as he and Sleepy ran through the streets, "We're under attack!"

"Oh, I can't win today!" Nicholas thought before running up to the others.

"Okay, Leroy, what is it?" Emma asked.

"We were just driving home, and something blasted us with magic. The whole van's iced over. We woke up in a meat locker." Leroy explained in panic, "Who's got that kind of magic?"

"Hmm," Nicholas thought, "I haven't heard of anyone with that kind of magic since I was a kid."

"Maybe the person who made that." Emma said pointing at a trail of ice. Following the trail, Emma and Nicholas entered a garbage lot only to find no one behind the gate. Suddenly, snow began to swirl and quickly formed a giant living snowman.

"Alright, that's a new one." Emma remarked.

"I think I've seen something like this before." Nicholas informed looking at the monster.

"We don't want to pick a fight." Emma said to it. Unfortunately, all it did was roar causing the sheriff to fall and drop her gun which made it go off.

"I remember you now." Nicholas said with a confident smile, "You're Marshmell-"

But the monster cut him off by swatting him away into the nearest wall. "Ow." Nicholas groaned as his wounds healed.

"Evil snowman!" Leroy shouted causing mass panic, "Run!"

"Nicholas," Emma said as David and Hook joined them, "I think now would be a good time to use your gloves."

"You know, I would, but I left them at home in my other jacket." he replied, "Although, I think all this noise might be scaring it."

"I think you're right." she realized, "It's headed for the forest."

As they ran after the giant snow mound, they came up to Robin's camp to warn him and his men of what was coming their way. "What is it?" Robin asked.

"Some kind of snow monster." David answered.

"No monster shall cross our path." Robin argued, "We'll give you our assist-"

The archer was interrupted by the sound of growling faintly coming from the woods. "It's getting closer." Hook said, "It's coming from the north."

Within seconds, the monster came into view through the trees. Without any warning, or thought, Little John fired an arrow at the monster. Unfortunately, this only made it even more angry and gave it a reason to approach the camp.

"Yeah, I really picked a bad day to leave my gloves at home." Nicholas sighed as he made a sword from the ground, "Emma, you may have to back me up on this."

"What?" she asked.

"Your magic, love." Hook reminded.

"Right." she nodded. As the monster came closer, she held up her hands and sent a blast of magic at its head dazing it for a moment. "Take that, Frosty."

"Wait for it." Nicholas warned expecting more. Sure enough, the monster was unharmed and roared at them all while sprouting spikes on its arms and back just before swatting them to the ground and blasting them with its icy breath. "Yep. There it is."

Marian took the chance to try and fight back with an arrow only to be pushed back by the monster. Nicholas was the only one conscious but he chose not to do anything as the beast roared at her. On one hand, if he did nothing, he'd be a threat to the League short and could focus on helping the others make sure Gold didn't take anything from the Mansion while keeping the League still a secret. On the other hand, he'd have to deal with the guilt of leaving one of his closest friend's and comrades' wife to die a second time. Tough choice.

Next thing anyone knew, Regina emerged from the trees next to Marian while staring up at the monster. Her expression seemed blank but Nicholas could easily tell it was colder than the monster before them as she looked down at Marian.

"Please." Marian begged in fear, "Help me."

"Regina, just leave her." Nicholas whispered as his sister vanished in a cloud of smoke. Once she was gone, the monster lifted its foot ready to crush her. "I'm sorry, Robin."

But before it could do the deed, Regina destroyed it from behind with her magic. Everyone began to groan as they regained consciousness while Nicholas bowed his head.

"You saved me." Marian said in shock.

"Dammit." Nicholas whispered as he got to his feet.

"Marian, are you alright?" Robin asked before realizing his former love was there too, "Regina."

"Maybe you're not a monster." Marian admitted.

"Maybe I'm not." Regina replied showing no emotion, "Welcome to Storybrooke, Marian."

As she walked away, Emma tried to talk to her. "Regina, we've been trying to find you."

"Sister, wait." Nicholas pleaded as she poofed away causing him to drop his head and sigh.

"Your sister really doesn't want to talk, huh, mate?" Hook asked.

"What made you think that?" he asked sarcastically, "Was it her ignoring me and poofing away or that she hasn't said two words to me since last night?"

"There's no need to be sarcastic." huffed the pirate.

"You think she's gonna be okay?" Emma asked.

"My sister is a very emotional person, Emma." Nicholas sighed, "It was bad when her last love died but now, when he's still alive and reunited with his dead wife/the mother of his child…things are bound to be worse."

"I should talk to her." she said ready to walk back to town only to be stopped by her boyfriend.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." he halted, "Em, honey, no offense, but that's a terrible idea and borderline stupid."

"Excuse me?" she asked baffled.

"I know you feel guilty, but I've seen what Regina does to people when she's pissed. Quite frankly, I don't want to see my big sis kill my girlfriend or vice-versa."

"Alright," the blonde relented, "I see your point. See you back at the loft."

"Okay. Just hold on a minute." he said before surprising her by pulling her in for a kiss, "Love ya."

"Hmm. I love you, too." she smiled. Off to the side, David sighed in distaste while Hook mischievously smirked.

"Just think, mate, if Flamel weren't around and I didn't have Ariel, that could've been me with your daughter."

"…Oh, shut up, Hook. Just shut up." David said flatly.

Back in town that evening, Regina sat against her office door with her knees up against her chest in silence. On the other side, Nicholas approached the door and knocked on it hoping to get through to her.

"Regina, I know you're in there. I can see the light's on." he said before leaning his arm on the door and sighing, "I know this is all…complicated, but you can have happiness. I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to fight. If you won't, I will. I wasn't able to stop you from falling into despair before but there's no way in hell I'm gonna let that happen again."

After hearing the sound of his boots hitting the floor fade away, Regina raised her head out of her arms and looked over at Henry's book across the room with an idea in her head.

Elsewhere, in the League's mansion, while his new wife slept soundly in bed, Rumple stared down at a round, golden box with a strange blue, swirly design with stars in the center. With a wave of his dagger, and a small cloud of blue smoke, the box morphed into a bent, pointy, blue hat that looked as though it had an entire universe in the center.

As this happened, all around town, a massive ice wall erupted along the border trapping everyone inside without anybody realizing it. Over at the loft, however, the Charmings hung out while Snow put Neal in his crib.

"Here you go, sweetheart. I'll see you in three hours for your midnight shrieking. Yes, I will." Snow said lovingly with a little humor/dread for the inevitable, "Sweet dreams."

"What do you think babies dream about?" Henry asked.

"Bullfighting." David replied joking.

"Laser tag." Emma added.

"That's not true." Snow argued.

"I think they're joking." Henry eased.

"Right." Snow sighed, "I'll recognize funny again when he's three and I've had some sleep."

"Three?" David asked his wife, "I see the optimism returning. At least he probably doesn't dream stuff like Flamel."

"Like what?" Emma asked.

"You know, sciencey, nerdy stuff." he shrugged smirking, "Like, the sum of the square root of any two sides of an isosceles triangle is equal to the square root of the remaining side."

"That's a right triangle, ya idiot!" Nicholas said from the bathroom before flushing.

"Is it?" Henry asked his mother.

"How should I know?" she asked as Nicholas came out drying his hands.

"Remind me again, why are you here?" David asked trying to get over the idiot remark.

"I'm bored, I wanna spend time with my girlfriend and nephew, I like babies, my house is eerily empty and quiet and I don't plan on sleeping for another four days." Nicholas listed with his fingers.

"You seriously don't sleep for days regularly?" Snow asked in surprise.

"Pretty much. Why else would I drink almost ten cups of coffee every day? I have more of a caffeine addiction than I do smoking." he shrugged as he pointed at Henry, "It certainly came in handy when I had to deal with this guy as a baby."

"So what do you do at night while everyone else is asleep?" she asked.

"Eh, usually I just work on my research or train. Sometimes I just read a book or watch a movie." he replied while noticing a little basket filled with treats being made by Henry, "Chocolate, DVDs, ice cream, red wine? What is this, a care package or a prep kit for a _Gilmore Girls_ marathon?"

"It's for my mom." he replied.

"I don't drink and sheriff." Emma joked.

"My other mom." he clarified, "I googled 'How to Get Over a Breakup.' Though, it didn't talk about your boyfriend's wife time-traveling back from the past."

"That's page six, Henry." Nicholas joked, "Wait a minute. How come I didn't get anything like this after Ruby broke up with me?"

"Because you were busy trying to kill me while working with Cora to help her take out Gold and become the new dark one." Snow dryly reminded.

"Touché." he admitted pointing at her while still looking at Henry.

"I thought about that. That's why I asked Leroy to help get you these." Henry admitted while pulling out about five wrapped cigars from his pocket.

"Henry?!" Emma exclaimed while she and her parents looked at him in shock.

As for Nicholas, he merely asked, "Are those Cuban?"

"Nicholas!" Emma admonished smacking his chest.

"What? I'm just asking!" he cringed trying not to smirk, "Seriously, are they Cuban?"

"Yep." Henry nodded handing them over as his uncle sniffed them deeply.

"Oh, yeah, these are the good ones." he exhaled with a very happy expression.

"Wait, I thought you only smoked those when angry." David pointed out.

"No, no, no. This is how it goes: I smoke my pipe to help me think. I smoke regular cigars when I'm pissed because there's more potent tobacco in them and that calms my nerves. But when it comes to Cuban cigars, that's more for personal enjoyment." Nicholas explained earning looks from the adults, "Oh, come on. It's not like I'm doing weed. That's something I'll never do; trust me."

"Great. My grandson is walking around with stogies in his pockets." Snow huffed, "Next thing we know, he'll have tattoos, as well."

"If that does ever happen, I won't be the only one to blame." Nicholas defended still smirking, "Emma's got one, too."

"Huh?" David asked.

"Thanks, babe." she muttered sarcastically, "Yes, I admit it. I have a tattoo. But nothing like his!"

"Where? What is it?" Snow asked surprisingly looking excited.

"Should I leave the room?" David asked looking sick.

"No!" Emma replied with a disgusted expression, "It's on my wrist. Geez, Dad."

Pulling up her sleeve and unraveling her shoelace bracelet, she unveiled her little tattoo of a flower on her left wrist. To clarify on the bracelet, when Emma became sheriff during the curse, Nicholas decided to give her the rest of Graham's belongings seeing as he felt only a pair of walkie-talkies wasn't enough. However, seeing as he already took the jacket, Emma was left with a few loose items including the Huntsman's boots which were much too big for her. So with no other ideas, Emma decided to take one of the shoelaces and wrap it around her wrist as a bracelet to remember her friend.

"See? It's just a flower. Not a crown, pair of wings and a giant cross with a snake draped over it like someone else's we know." she said indicating to her lover.

"You can mock me all you want, babe, but I have never once regretted getting my tattoo." Nicholas coolly defended before taking a drink of his whiskey. Suddenly, a raven pecked at the window from outside with a message on its leg.

"It's for Henry and Nicholas." Snow said after taking the message, "It's from Regina."

Henry took the roll of paper and read it. Once he was finished, he looked downcast. "She doesn't want to see me." he said as he left the loft. Emma and Nicholas went after him and followed him inside to Granny's.

"You know, that is not exactly what she said. I read the note. She said for right now, while she's dealing with things." Emma pointed out as they sat next to him.

"She doesn't want to see me." Henry repeated staring at the counter.

"She's in a lot of pain over Robin Hood and everything that's happened over the last…well, forever." Nicholas reminded, "Things have been tough on her and you. She's trying to fix them so that you two can be together because she cares about you."

"So why'd she tell me to stay away?" he asked.

"Because she things she's making things better." Emma replied gently.

"She's not." Henry argued before the power randomly shut down.

"Now what?" Nicholas sighed.

"Emma," David said over the radio, "I'm getting calls from all over. It's a town-wide blackout."

"Yeah, copy that. I'm looking at it." she replied.

"I'll swing by to get you. We can check this out."

"Hey, kid. You wanna come along on this one?" Emma asked, "We can call it Operation…Nightshade or, uh, Blackthorn or-"

"That's okay." Henry interrupted. Once David arrived with the patrol car, Emma told her father what happened and expressed how it made her feel.

"He wouldn't even let us hug him. It killed me." she said.

"Sounds familiar." David said.

"Cause I do that. Great. I've passed it along." she huffed.

"Not just you. Henry has two moms who both put up walls." David reminded, "Sounds like he's taking after the both of you."

"He has a point." Nicholas agreed from the back seat.

"It's not like him to pass up on operation anything. I'm worried."

"Well, kids have extreme reactions. They get over it fast. Just stay strong and roll with it. There's always people in this world who want you to give up. Don't make their jobs any easier."

"What the hell is that?" Nicholas asked as they spotted the ice wall and a powerline on the ground.

"Well, there you go." Emma remarked, "Whatever happened to these powerlines happened after the snow monster. Let's go find whoever did this."

"This takes me back." Nicholas thought, "I haven't seen anything like this since I was in Arendelle."

"In case any of you were wondering, it goes the whole way 'round." Hook informed as he and Ariel came out of the woods with lanterns.

"Hook, I didn't know you and Ariel were joining us." David remarked.

"I get a distress call from a fair maiden, and I'm on the spot." he joked, "And this bloody ice wall has sprung up not far from the docks keeping my ship here. That and Ariel wanted to come."

"I keep missing out on all the excitement." she shrugged.

"So any way you slice it, we can't leave Storybrooke." Nicholas observed, "Question is, who did this and why?"

"Kill us all one by one." Hook replied with a dry smile, "It's what I'd do."

"Same." Nicholas nodded while David went over to check his car radio. As he did, both he and Emma saw something move behind some of the ice spikes.

"Did you see that?" Emma asked.

"No." Hook said.

"Me neither." Ariel added.

"I saw it, too." Nicholas replied focusing his attention at the wall.

"I'm gonna check it out." Emma said heading over while David approached the alchemist.

"I think it's time you and I had a little talk about your intentions with my daughter." he said going into "protective father mode."

"Really?" he asked, "Even after spending almost an entire year giving her nothing but unconditional love?"

"Well, I know your reputation." David coolly countered, "Emma is not some kind of experiment for you test out."

"…I may have a stone in my chest, Charming. But I've never considered Emma an experiment. Your daughter means all of the worlds to me." Nicholas defended. His phone began to buzz with Skinner on the other line again. As he answered, Hook, Ariel, and David went over to join Emma.

"What now, Skinner?" he asked.

"Gold's done it. He's opened the box." The Invisible Man informed.

"What?" Nicholas asked, "Sigh…we'll deal with this later. Has he done anything with it yet?"

"No. He's just stared at it."

"That's it?" he asked, "No hocus pocus, hand waving, dark one magic stuff?

"Nope." Skinner replied, "I've already contacted the others. We plan on meeting at Robin's camp to discuss what to do next."

"Understood. I'll be awhile, though. I'm with Emma, Charming and Hook checking out this ice wall at the town line. It's what's caused the power outage."

As he said this, the wall shook and sprouted more spikes trapping Emma inside while leaving the others outside. "I'll call you back." Nicholas said before hanging up.

"The device-call her." Hook said panicking.

"What happened?" Nicholas asked.

"This woman on the other side made the wall and trapped herself with Emma on the other side." Ariel replied.

"Emma, are you in there?" David asked trying to remain calm.

"I'm getting her out." Nicholas said flexing his hand ready to destroy the ice. As soon as his sparking hand made contact, his arm suffered the effects of a rebound which nearly destroyed it.

"Gah!" he cried in pain as his arm tried to regenerate, "You could have told me this ice was made by magic, you know!"

"We figured you knew!" Ariel defended.

"She's not answering." David said, "Try your gloves."

"Won't work." Nicholas grunted, "This is magical ice. Only magic can take it down."

"We aren't giving up." Hook argued.

"We're not, but we need another way." Nicholas retorted, "Try again."

"Emma!" David shouted into the radio, "Can you hear me?! Emma, are you okay?! Say something!"

"Dad, can you hear me?" Emma asked calmly, "I'm in here with this woman. She's looking for her sister, Anna."

"Anna?" Nicholas muttered.

"She thinks that Anna is in town because she found a necklace of hers in Gold's shop. She wants us to try to find her before-"

"Before I freeze this town and everyone in it." she cut off.

"Nicholas, where are you going?" David asked as the alchemist stormed off and deconstructed himself. About ten minutes later, he came driving down the road well over the speed limit in his car and slid to a halt. When he got out, he marched to his trunk without saying a word.

"What's he doing?" Ariel asked as Nicholas pulled out a massive weapon and loaded it.

"What is that?" Hook asked as Nicholas got in front of his car and kneeled with the weapon over his shoulder.

"What-is that a bazooka?!" David exclaimed.

"Everybody down!" Nicholas shouted as he squeezed the trigger. As the projectile fired at the wall, the others jumped out of the way just in time. Unfortunately, there wasn't so much as a dent in the wall.

"Where the hell did you get a bazooka?!" David yelled as Nicholas came over after putting the weapon in his trunk.

"What?!" he asked loudly, "I can't hear you! My ears are ringing from the bazooka!"

"Mate, if your alchemy couldn't break through the ice, what made you think that bloody bazooka thing could?" Hook asked.

"It seemed like a better option than relying on that ice pick of yours." Nicholas retorted.

"We're getting nowhere fast. Gold might be able to help us. Maybe find this woman's sister." David suggested.

"We don't need him." Nicholas argued, "Anna's not in Storybrooke."

"And you know this how?" David asked.

"Trust me, Anna's not the kind of person that goes unnoticed."

"Wait, you know her?" he asked.

"Yeah." Nicholas nodded pointing at the wall, "That woman's name is Queen Elsa of Arendelle. I met her and her sister after I befriended some traders from her kingdom when I got out of Xerxes."

"Do you know how we can get her to lower the wall without her sister, then?" Ariel asked.

"Maybe, maybe not." he replied, "Elsa's magic is connected with her emotions and unfortunately, thanks to her parents, she doesn't have control over either. I may be able to calm her down myself; we were pretty close when we were kids. Hand me the walkie."

"Just get her back." David pleaded as he gave the radio.

"Elsa?" Nicholas asked, "Elsa, can you hear me?"

"Who is this?" she asked feeling scared, "Where's David?"

"Elsa, it's me, Nicholas. Nicholas Flamel. Remember? We were friends back when we were kids." he tried to remind.

"Nicholas?" she asked, "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, Elsa. It's me." he laughed happy hearing the sound of his old friend's voice.

"Wh-how are you here? Do you know where Anna is?" Elsa asked.

"No. I don't. But I need you to listen to me, Elsa." he coached, "How's Emma doing?"

"She's freezing…turning blue." she said in a panic.

"Elsa, calm down. I need you to find a way out." Nicholas said gently.

"I need Anna." she stressed.

"I know, but we don't know where she is right now. You're gonna have to do this by yourself."

"I can't." she denied, "I can't control this. Not on my own."

"Yes, you can." he argued, "I know you can. You're stronger than you think; you've always been strong enough to do it on your own. You can't let fear continue to control your life like this. If you do, neither you or Emma will survive."

"She won't, I will." Elsa corrected.

"No, you won't. Not if you allow yourself to be trapped like this. Anna never wanted this for you, neither have I. I told you a long time ago that the only thing stopping you is yourself. Take all your fear, Elsa, and let it go."

Elsa didn't reply afterwards. Instead, she took her friend's advice and let go of her fear allowing her to make a hole in the wall large enough for both her and Emma to crawl through. David wasted no time in pulling his beloved daughter into his arms while Nicholas helped his childhood friend out.

"Your Majesty." he nodded with a smirk before the platinum blonde flung her arms around him.

"Let's get her home, warm her up." David said picking her up bridal style.

"Are you okay?" Nicholas asked stroking her face. She didn't say anything, but she rapidly nodded her head, "Thank you. You saved her."

"Yes, I did." Elsa nodded looking guilty, "But I also endangered her. You owe me nothing."

"Your right, I don't." he nodded, "But that's because you're my friend. And no matter what they do, I will always be there to help my friends. I promise, we are going to find Anna."

Back at the loft, Nicholas held Emma close to his chest after she was wrapped in probably seven blankets. Fortunately, the power quickly came back on and Henry readied one of the space heaters for her.

"I'll go make some hot cocoa." he offered.

"Wait." she said stopping him.

"I know, with cinnamon." he replied before being pulled in by his shivering mother.

"I'm sorry if I wasn't much help earlier, kid." she apologized.

"I'm just glad you're okay. I was already down to one mother, and I won't go lower than that." he said causing Emma to chuckle while Elsa looked upset.

"Elsa?" she asked, "You okay?"

"Not only have I lost my sister, I've lost her necklace, too. Now I have nothing of hers." Elsa informed as David came back with a long Sheppard's Crook in his hand.

"Then let's find her." he said.

"David, I know you used to be a Sheppard, but is this really the time to gather the flock?" Nicholas asked.

"Flamel, just shut up." he snapped, "As it happens, you aren't the only who knew Anna."

"You knew my sister?" Elsa asked.

"I did. She helped me once when I most needed it." David nodded, "When she did, she had a run in with someone I knew who liked to 'brand' people she wanted to control with this crook. Fortunately, one of its perks is allowing us to located where ever someone who's been branded is."

"Well, isn't that randomly convenient?" Nicholas dryly thought while Elsa looked through the hook.

"I don't see anything." she said.

"It should work." David sighed.

"Is it broken?" Hook asked.

"Or does it mean something happened to her?" Elsa asked fearing the worst.

"Wait." Nicholas said as his ears picked up a faint noise, "What's that sound?"

"…Is that a heartbeat?" Elsa asked.

"It is." David nodded.

"We might know where your sister is but we know the most important thing." Emma assured.

"She's alive." Elsa nodded as Mary Margaret entered with baby Neal.

"Who's alive? Oh. Who are you?" she asked.

"Uh, this is Elsa." David answered as he took his son, "We're gonna find her sister. That's what this family does. We find people. We always do because we really, really don't like to give up."

Later that night, around 3:00 AM when everyone was asleep, Nicholas ventured into the woods to meet up with his fellow League members around a fire. Much to his relief, Robin decided to leave Marian behind with the rest of the Merry Men.

"It's certainly been awhile since we've had a briefing like this." Nicholas remarked as he took a seat on a log, "Now what exactly are we going to do about Gold?"

"I'm afraid that we're backed into a corner for now." Mina commented, "We were lucky after the first curse broke that no one was able to find the mansion. I don't think any of us expected Belle of all people to find it."

"Or to use it for her honeymoon with the bloody dark one." Skinner added as he warmed his hands.

"Fortunately, we never left anything above ground to show any indication of our residence there." Nemo reminded.

"Yeah, just that damn hat the director asked us to keep an eye on." Sawyer countered, "Now that Gold's found it he won't let it out of his sight."

"I'm a little lost," Robin interjected, "What exactly does the hat do?"

"We don't know everything about it." Quartermain began, "All we do know is that it was created by Merlin and was protected by his apprentice for over a thousand years until shortly before the third ogres war. The apprentice entrusted it with us because he no longer believed he was befit to guard it after Rumplestiltskin managed to get his hands on it briefly."

"He said that it is commonly used as a means to seal magical entities that posed threats to the realms in times of great need." Nemo added, "And apparently, since its creation, every dark one has tried to get their hands on it."

"And now Rumple has it." Nicholas nodded, "Fan-freaking-tastic!"

"He hasn't used it yet, though, Nicholas." Mina reminded, "That's a good sign."

"Emphasis on yet." he countered, "When has that midget ever passed up the chance to acquire more power? The answer: never."

"What do we do?" Robin asked.

"As of now, the entire town, and most importantly the Charmings, is focused on Elsa and her ice wall." Quartermain explained.

"Which for some reason she can't take down according to Emma." Nicholas added.

"Right, so we can focus our attention on retrieving the hat." he finished.

"How?" Sawyer asked, "Out the seven of us, the only ones that actually show themselves in public are Nicholas and Robin. I can't go into town because I screwed up and stuck around too long when Zelena went after Henry. Nemo can't because he sticks out like a sore thumb. Skinner can but there's no way of him grabbing the box without people noticing it bouncing around in midair. Mina can't because she refuses to wear anything other than funeral clothes. And we all know why you can't go out and 'bout, boss."

"He's got a point, Quartermain." Nicholas agreed before looking at Nemo and Robin, "And no offense, you guys, but your men aren't skilled or experienced enough for a job like this."

"We'll worry about the hat latter. There's something else we need to discuss." Quartermain informed, "The mansion's been compromised. We can't keep using it like we've been doing. Not after what's happened because you know Belle will tell her friends about it. Our base is on the verge of becoming a romantic getaway for the people of Storybrooke."

"We need to take every chance we can get to get what we can out and what we can't locked up tight." Nicholas agreed.

"But what about us?" Skinner asked, "Not to sound whiny, but we've been living in the mansion this entire time, Nicholas."

"Don't worry, I thought ahead of this, Skinner." he reassured, "I still have plenty of space in my underground laboratories which are all connected through a tunnel system."

"But doesn't your sister know about them?" Mina asked.

"No, she only knows about the one north of the park. All the others are safe with beds, weapons and plenty of provisions. You'd basically be staying in bomb shelters."

"I for one would rather not sleep on a bench like a hobo." Sawyer commented, "I'm in."

"Seconded." Mina nodded.

"It's unanimous." Skinner joked holding up his invisible hand.

"Fine." Quartermain muttered before giving his orders, "Skinner, I want you and Sawyer to keep track of Gold and Belle for the next week. If there is any repeating sign of him leaving that box out of his sight, report back to me and we'll discuss our next approach. Nemo, have your divers see if they can break past the section of the ice wall that's sprung up in the ocean. Harker, I want you looking into anything that may be able to work against ice magic. Locksley, have your Merry Men sneak into the mansion at every given chance while keeping look out for any new comers and retrieve what you can. Flamel, keep an eye on your friend the queen. I wanna know if her arrival will lead to anything unpleasant like what our previous visitors have brought."

"Got it, boss." Nicholas nodded, "What about you?"

"Despite my disliking towards it, I need to inform the director of what has happened to the hat." he replied, "I'll take the blame. I just hope that smiling bastard doesn't find an excuse to drag the rest of you down along with me."

"I'm not a member of your branch. You think he'll be merciful with me?" Robin asked.

"You do know who we work for, right?" Nicholas asked.

"Hmph, just thought I'd ask." he defended.

"Well, it just goes to show, it's never a dull moment in Storybrooke." Nicholas said as his friends and comrades nodded in agreement.


	37. Rocky Road

**Okay, this much longer than expected. And unfortunately, the next one may take just as long, if not longer. For those of you reading this still in high school and plan on going to college, take my advice. While having 17 credit hours for a semester will keep you busy and give you the chance to work hard and learn a lot, it will take up a lot of time and make you want to drive a nail into your forehead at some points. That being said, I still love doing it all because I like hard work and it's what I expected/wanted when I decided to go to college.**

 **Anyway...here's Rocky Road. Um, little heads up, this part of the season (and possibly the next half) will be relatively shorter than the last two on account of both focusing on Emma more so than previous seasons. That being said, I will try to keep things interesting by involving Nicholas and the League whenever I think I can include them when the majority of the episodes I'm on take up more time with just Emma or flashbacks involving Elsa and Anna.**

 **Oh, and I have a question I would like some feedback on. This idea recently popped into my head and I like where it's going so far. What would you guys say to me writing a (separate) long one-shot of this story that's basically like this story's movie? What I mean is a really long one-shot that has a plot line that will never be brought up in this story but will exist. Like an Anime movie.**

 **It would take place after the whole Promised Day Saga and I would write it along with chapters for this. It would completely focus on Nicholas and his past and how it still affects him in present time.**

 **What is the plot, you ask?**

 **Picture this...**

 **The slave trader who kidnapped and sold Nicholas is in Storybrooke, brainwashes him and uses him as his mindless puppet to wreak havoc on the town.**

 **It'd be full of suffering, heartache, drama and tears but it would also show that all the people in Nicholas's life who love him would do anything to help him and bring him back.**

 **Like I said, it's just an idea right now. Let me know what you think but until then...**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own OUaT or its characters.**

Many years ago, in the kingdom of Arendelle, a young Flamel walked through the streets of the town in awe of everything around him. Arendelle was nothing like Xerxes, no sand blowing in his eyes, no blistering heat bearing down on his skin and most importantly, no slaves of any kind.

He especially enjoyed the smell and sight of the sea before him. However, while he was enjoying every moment he spent in Arendelle, he still wanted to go back to his original home in the Enchanted Forest. Unfortunately, there had been storms that had been damaging and even destroying ships recently so he had no other choice but to wait until it was safe. For the time being, he was enjoying his time in the beautiful kingdom.

Currently, he was enjoying a peaceful walk through the woods by the waterfall behind the castle. As he was walking through the trees with a happy smile on his face, his recently heightened sense of smell picked up a faint trace of human blood nearby. Following the trail, he came up to see a young girl clutching her bloody knee with tears in her eyes sniffling in pain and fear.

"Are you okay?" Flamel asked as he approached the girl.

"I-I hurt my knee and I can't get up." she sniffled.

"Hold still. I can fix it." he said gently. With his newfound knowledge and powers, Flamel's hands sparked with red alchemic electricity over the child's knee. When the light was gone, her wound was gone and left no sign of any previous injury. "There now. All better."

"Wow!" she exclaimed in wonder. To further test if she was better, the girl jumped to her feet and bounced on her heels, "That was amazing! I mean incredible, I mean-thank you!"

"Little ball of energy, this one." Flamel thought before actually speaking, "You're welcome. If you don't mind my asking, what were you doing out here by yourself?"

"I got bored so I decided to leave the castle and play out here." she chirped.

"Wait. The castle?" Flamel asked.

"Yep." she smiled innocently, "I'm Princess Anna."

"Well, Princess, it's very nice to meet you. My name is Nicholas Flamel." he introduced.

 **OUaT**

About a day or so after Elsa was welcomed into Storybrooke, Emma and Nicholas decided to confront Gold about Elsa. As it turns out, she came to the town through the time portal inside an urn that was held inside his vault which held anything and everything he collected that feared even him.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I've never seen her before in my life." Rumple said to the couple and queen.

"So how'd she end up inside your urn inside your secret vault of terror?" Emma asked.

"Look, if you really want to know how she wound up there, she's standing right beside you, Ms. Swan. Why don't you simply ask her?" he suggested.

"Oh, gee, why didn't we think of that?" Nicholas sarcastically asked.

"They did. But I can't remember." Elsa clarified, "Something happened to my memories."

"Well, an all too common affliction around these parts. Pity." Gold remarked, "But as you can see, many objects fall into my possession. Urns, necklaces, all manner of things. I can't know the history behind them all."

"Only if there's something in it for you." Nicholas retorted with a dry glare, "Everything in this place is something you took or came into contact with. My sister didn't just give you this place to use as a storage shed for things from our realm."

"Oh, don't make me laugh, Flamel." Gold scoffed, "You're an alchemist. Keeping things for your own personal interest and gain comes in your job description. And that may have been true for me once, but my life has recently been turned upside down. I've lost a son. I've gained a wife. So you might say I've decided to turn over a new leaf."

"Don't forget about my super power." Emma reminded, "I'll be able to tell if you're lying."

"How about I do you one better?" Gold recommended, "Let's simply have Belle use the dagger on me."

"N-no. No." she stammered, "Rumple, you don't have to do that."

"No, no, no. Ms. Swan and Mr. Flamel want proof and I'm happy to cooperate."

"Fine." she sighed as she went over and held the dagger in front of her husband, "I command you, dark one, to tell them the truth."

"The truth is…just as I said." Gold complied, "I had no idea there was someone inside there. I know nothing about Elsa. Or her sister. But I wish you the best of luck finding her."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Gold." Nicholas said with false delight before he and the girls left the pawn shop.

 **OUaT**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Flamel asked as Anna pulled him towards the castle's gates.

"Of course. My parents would be happy to meet the person who saved me." she replied finding his question odd, "Besides, it's not often I get to make a new friend. Mostly because I never get to leave the palace, but that's beside the point."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm literally being pulled into a heap of trouble?" Flamel thought bluntly.

"Maybe we can even get my sister to play with us!" Anna said with hope.

"You have a sister?" he asked.

"Yep. My big sister Elsa." she nodded enthusiastically, "We used to play all the time until a few years ago. Maybe all she needs is a new friend to get her out of that dusty old room of hers."

"I guess." Flamel shrugged. Once they were inside, they noticed the king giving his guards orders with a serious look on his face while the queen looked like she was close to tears.

"I'm back!" Anna announced without a care in the world. At the sound of her voice, her parents looked at her and wasted no time in rushing over to pick her up and hold her close in their arms.

"Anna, where have you been?" the king asked, "We've been looking for you everywhere."

"I got bored so I went outside to play." she said not seeing any issue.

"Wh-what happened?" the queen asked seeing the dried blood on her stocking and dress, "Why is there blood on your dress? And who is this boy you brought with you?"

"Guards!" the king barked. Sure enough, about four guards blocked the exit and had their spears pointed at the young alchemist.

"I knew getting involved in another royal family would bite me in the ass." he muttered as he raised his hands.

"Papa, stop!" Anna demanded, "He's my friend! He healed my leg after I hurt myself in the woods."

"In my defense, Majesty, it is true." Flamel defended, "If you could be so kind as to have your guards lower their weapons I would appreciate it."

"Gerda," the king said staring at Anna knee where the wound used to be, "Look."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Anna asked with a smile, "Nicholas healed me with this bright red light covering his hands and voila!"

But the monarchs didn't seem as impressed as their daughter. If anything, they seemed concerned and nervous. "Release him." the king ordered, "Bring him to my study, immediately."

"Just my luck, I'm enjoying a peaceful stroll through the woods, meet a nice girl, help her out of the goodness of my heart and how am I rewarded? I get dragged away by palace guards." Flamel dryly thought as the guards literally dragged him to the king's study. A few minutes later, both royals stormed in and locked the door behind them.

"…How did you heal my daughter's injury?" the king asked with his voice shaking.

"Why do you wish to know?" Flamel asked acting calm and collected.

"Answer me!" he shouted slamming his fist on his desk.

"Hmph, you royals are so dramatic." Flamel scoffed.

"What sort of magic did you use to heal her?" he asked, "I checked it myself, there's no sign of any injury. Not even the faintest trace of a scar. How did you do it?"

"Well, for starters, I did not use magic." Flamel replied.

"Then how?" the queen asked.

"Tell me, how familiar are you two with the science of alchemy?" he asked.

"Not much." King Ivar said, "It's supposedly used throughout the desert kingdom Xerxes."

"Well, it seems like one of its users has made their way into your kingdom." grinned Flamel.

"So Xerxes has sent you to destroy us then?" Ivar asked thinking he knew the answer.

"…If I was going to do that, do you honestly think I would waste my time helping your daughter?" Flamel dryly asked, "Besides, you don't have to worry about Xerxes anymore."

"Why not?" Gerda asked.

"Everyone's dead." he curtly replied, "The entire population, except myself, was killed in a single night. If you were to go there, you'd probably still be able to see the bodies poking out of the sand."

"If everyone is dead, then how did you manage to survive?" Ivar asked.

"That's my business." he replied with a tight fake smile, "My question is, why were you two so frazzled when you thought I had magic?"

"No reason." Gerda blurted. Obviously, Flamel wasn't convinced.

"No," he said putting the pieces together, "When you thought I had magic, both of you looked frightened. Obviously, you've had some experience with magic; and so has Anna. Hasn't she? Don't deny it, I can see it written all over your faces. So Anna has come into contact with magic. Well, obviously, she doesn't have any of her own or else she would have been able to heal herself. And you two don't exactly come across as the magical types…so it must have been someone else. Else…oh, I see. Her sister Elsa has magic, doesn't she?"

"…Yes." Ivar growled, "Elsa has magic."

"Hmm. I take it that's how Anna got that little streak in her hair, then?" Flamel asked.

"It was an accident." Gerda defended, "They-they were playing and Elsa accidently struck her head with her magic."

"Well, from what I gathered, Anna didn't seem to hold any resentment towards her sister. She was actually excited for me to meet her."

"Anna doesn't know Elsa has magic." Ivar informed, "Or rather, she doesn't remember that she does."

"Come again?" Flamel asked.

"When Elsa struck Anna, it did more to her than we thought. We sought help from the rock trolls in the north mountain; they specialize in memory magic. We couldn't risk Anna growing up fearing her sister, it would devastate them both. Until Elsa can control her powers, no one, not even Anna, must ever know."

"So why did you bring me here?"

"We were hoping that if you had magic, you would help us with Elsa." Gerda replied.

"Well, from the way you literally had me dragged in here, it didn't seem like I was going to have much of a choice." Flamel remarked before sighing, "Alright. I'll see what I can do to help. I may not have magic, but I may be able to help her control hers by other means."

"Thank you." Ivar nodded, "Please, let me show you to her room."

Ten minutes later, the monarch knocked on his daughter's door softly. "Elsa. Darling, open the door."

A few seconds later, the door slowly opened with a frightened young girl dressed in blue with her platinum blonde hair in a braid clinging to the knob. "Yes, papa?" she asked nervously.

"Sweetheart, there's someone I would like you to meet." he said with love and a splash of sympathy, "This young man is here to help you with your…powers."

"Hello, princess." Flamel politely nodded. When Ivar left them, they sat in Elsa's room; Elsa on her bed, Flamel on the windowsill.

"Are you a cleric?" she asked breaking the silent. The alchemist softly chuckled before giving his answer.

"No. Far from it, actually."

"…I don't believe you." she argued.

"From what your parents have told me, you can do strange things. Things that other children cannot. Can't you, Elsa?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I can make snow and ice form in the palm of my hands; even when it's hot enough outside to pass out from exhaustion. I can make a blizzard inside even when all the windows are shut and the fireplaces are roaring. I can freeze people…if I want."

"I don't believe you do." Flamel gently debated, "You don't strike me as the kind of person who likes hurting people. But you're afraid that you will no matter how hard you try not to."

"…Who are you?" Elsa asked.

"Well, I'm like you, Elsa. I'm different." he replied.

"Prove it." she demanded. Without so much as a twitch, Flamel was able to create a bulky suit of armor with spikes on its shoulders and knee caps from the floor and willed it to bow on its knee with its arm over its chest before the young princess who looked in awe.

"It may not be magic, but I can do plenty of strange things, as well." he said as Elsa touched the armor to see if it was indeed real, "And like anything in this world, a person can control it as long as they understand it. You have the potential to do just that, Elsa, should you allow yourself. The only thing stopping you, is yourself."

"How can I?" she asked, "My father always says not to use my powers."

"Because of Anna." he stated causing Elsa to gasp and look down in shame, "I'm aware of what happened between you two. And that she has no memory of what happened, as well."

"I almost killed her!" Elsa said on the verge of tears, "She was lucky I struck her head and not her heart. I can't let that happen again."

"Then don't. But don't punish yourself by shutting your sister out as you have been." Flamel coached, "Elsa, how long has it been since you struck Anna?"

The princess sniffled and said, "Seven years. Almost eight."

"And how much success have you had in controlling your magic since then?"

"…None."

"Do you feel as though this method your parents have taught you has helped you in any way?"

"No." she admitted.

"Then don't you think it's time you take a different approach?" he asked, "Let me teach you and you will never have to worry about hurting the people you love ever again."

"…Okay, I'll do it." she said looking directly into his eyes.

"Excellent." he smiled, "Oh, and to answer your question from earlier. The name's Nicholas Flamel."

 **OUaT**

Later that day, Nicholas received an urgent text from Robin concerning Marian and some kind of ice magic. Not wanting to risk the woman blabbing about the League, he immediately rushed over to Regina's, or rather Snow's, office and found Marian lying on the couch covered in frost.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

"Perhaps you should ask your old friend." Regina suggested looking at Elsa, "After all, it was her monster that attacked Marian."

"Well, to be fair, sis, it was provoked." he defended.

"But this isn't my magic. Someone else did this." Elsa defended.

"Oh, and we're supposed to trust you?" Regina asked.

"You can trust me and your brother." Emma snapped, "If she says it was someone else, it was."

"So, how do we break the spell?" Henry asked.

"The only way to cure a freezing spell is an act of true love." Elsa explained.

"True love's kiss." Regina said bitterly.

"Well, then there's no time to lose." Robin said before reaching down to kiss his wife. But when their lips parted, nothing changed, "What's wrong? Why isn't it working?"

"I've seen this once before. When Frederick was turned to gold." David said.

"Who the hell's Frederick?" Emma asked bluntly.

"Long story." Henry replied knowing it already.

"So, the cold is acting as a barrier?" Robin asked, "Is there nothing we can do?"

"Well, every curse is different. I need more time to study this one." Regina replied.

"I'm gonna go find who did this before it happens again." Emma said about to leave.

"Well, I hope you're bringing back-up." Regina remarked causing the blonde to come back.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Well, between the snow monster and the cave in, seems like the Savior needs saving these days."

"I think you're bitter and you're taking it out on the wrong person." Emma retorted, "I'll be fine."

"In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on Elsa. Knowing how every jackass in this town is quick to jump the gun and rally into an angry mob, it'd be best if someone were around to help." Nicholas added as he and the two blondes left the office.

While Emma and David were off looking for anything that could lead to the person who froze Marian, Nicholas led Elsa through town while avoiding the vengeful townsfolk. "Alright, coast is clear." he said as they emerged from an alley. However, Elsa didn't seem keen on following her friend. "That means, let's go, Elsa."

"I'm not coming with you." she said, "There's someone out there with powers like mine. I need to find out who. I-I can't just hide out in some sheriff's station."

"Well, you're in luck because we're not going to the sheriff's station." he replied.

"We're not?" she asked.

"With Emma blindly charging into danger, again? No chance in hell." Nicholas said, "We're going this way."

"And what's there?" Elsa asked.

"Knowing my luck, danger." he grinned, "This won't be like the last time you and I went on an excursion, Elsa; I can assure you."

"Believe me, I'd rather avoid going through anything like that again." she remarked following him, "That's the last time I ever follow you into a cave at night.

"You had fun and you know it." he admonished looking back as he walked on, "I didn't hear you complaining when we found that hot spring and spent hours soaking in it."

"Fair enough." Elsa relented

 **OUaT**

It had been a week since Flamel began to help the timid princess with her magic. It took time at first, but they seemed to be making process with her control. When they weren't working on that, they spent the days acting like children for the first time in so many years; even Anna joined them whenever Flamel told her in advance. All in all, Flamel felt truly happy and blessed to have found such good friends in the young royals.

However, he certainly didn't trust either of their parents and made a point of keeping a close eye on them whenever he could. While he didn't doubt that Ivar and Gerda loved their daughter, he could easily tell that they were, even just slightly, afraid of Elsa and her magic. And from what he deduced, that fear was undoubtedly caused by something relatable in one of their pasts. He just couldn't tell which one.

In any case, Flamel's time in Arendelle was coming to an end much to the princesses' disliking. The storms had finally calmed and ships were once again able to enter and leave Arendelle as they pleased. Currently, Flamel was browsing through the market to stock up on supplies for his journey home; true, he didn't need food to survive anymore, but constantly being hungry and not being able to die from hunger was an experience he did not want to go through again. As he purchased a few plums, he spotted a familiar face over at an herbalist stand.

"See anything you need?" the merchant asked kindly asked Flamel approached him.

"Aren't you the one who gave me my tattoo?" he asked, "What's with the herb stand?"

"I find that having multiple professions brings in a better source of income." he replied, "However, I doubt someone like you is in need of anything I have."

"…What do you mean?" Flamel asked trying to remain calm.

"I noticed that your body was being partially stubborn with the needle when you and I did business in my shop not long ago." he smirked, "And I was able to tell that it was not magic."

"…What do you want?" Flamel asked quietly.

"Nothing." he replied honestly, "Your secret is safe with me. Keeping secrets is a way of life for those who work in my profession."

"Tattoo artists and apothecaries?" Flamel asked.

"No, no." he chuckled, "Something else. Something that could use a man of your talents."

"Are you trying to offer me a job or something?" Flamel asked in confusion. Instead of giving an answer, the man took out a coin from his sleeve and flipped it at Flamel. In surprise, he caught it with a slight fumble before looking up from his palms to see that the man was gone. He looked around and saw no trace of him anywhere.

"What the hell was that about?" he bluntly asked aloud.

 **OUaT**

Once Nicholas and Elsa were able to sneak out of town, they found a trail of ice that lead into the woods by the person they were looking for. After about an hour, through the trees, they spotted their target: a middle-aged blonde woman wearing a white dress in a similar design to Elsa's.

"Get down." Nicholas whispered as he pulled the young queen down with him as they watched the woman. Keeping their eyes on her, Nicholas pulled out his phone in hopes to call Emma; he didn't fully trust Elsa enough to give any indication about the League.

"What is that thing?" she asked.

"It's a device we use in this realm for talking to people who aren't nearby. It's like an enchanted shell." he explained as he dialed his girlfriend. Unfortunately, all he heard was her voicemail recording.

"Why is it you never pick up when I'm the one calling about an emergency?" Nicholas asked stressed out, "We found the person who froze Marian. Get to the west edge of the woods right away."

As he said this, Elsa slowly rose over the log to get a better look only to be stopped by her childhood friend. "What are you doing?" he asked pulling her back down.

"Sorry. I've never seen someone like me before." Elsa apologized, "She doesn't look evil."

"She may not be, but for now, let's just stay out of sight until we have a reason to act." Nicholas advised, "Besides, I do better with the heat than I do with the cold."

Suddenly, from behind, the woman in question used her magic to incase Nicholas's legs in ice keeping him in place. "Well, that's a shame." she said in a calm, yet, intimidating voice. "Because you'll have to deal with it for now."

"Let go of him, now." Elsa demanded.

"Not when you and I have so much catching up to do, my sweet Elsa." she said mysteriously as she walked past them.

"Catching up?" Nicholas asked, "What do you know her?"

"I've never seen her before." Elsa replied.

"You've simply forgotten."

"I wouldn't forget someone like you. Like me." Elsa argued.

"The magic of the rock trolls. They pull memories. They did quite a number on you, I'm afraid."

"The rock trolls? Why would they do that to me?" Elsa asked.

"For the same reason they did it to your sister, Anna. Some memories are too painful."

"You know Anna? What happened to her?" she asked.

"The same thing that happens to every ordinary person. Eventually, they grow to fear us. You wonder how you ended up trapped in that urn. It was your sister. Anna put you there."

"You're lying." Elsa denied.

"Am I? Look at the people in this town. They're ready to burn you at the stake."

"Yeah, because of what you did, you cynical psychopath." Nicholas spat as he tried to break free.

"You wanted them to think it was me. To blame me. Why?" Elsa asked.

"I was trying to teach you a lesson." she said going over to Nicholas while creating dozens of icicles over his head, "Eventually, everyone turns on people like us. Even friends. Even family. They're just waiting for a reason."

"What are you doing?!" Elsa cried.

"When your friend is found, you will look responsible. Then they'll turn on you and treat you as the monster that they truly see you as, and you'll know that I'm right."

"No!" Elsa pleaded.

"Oh, I got to stop leaving my gloves at home this season." Nicholas said looking up at the icicles cringing at the thought of the pain he was about to feel. Just then, Emma and David came charging in.

"Hey, Dairy Queen!" Emma shouted causing the woman to look at her with a longing look on her face.

"Emma?" she whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Do we know each other?" Emma asked.

"Of course not." she lied, "Your reputation precedes you. You really think that your magic is a match for mine?"

"There's only one way to find out." Emma spat before sending a powerful blast from her hands which knocked the Snow Queen back. Having enough of his restraints, Nicholas destroyed the ground beneath him and broke free from the ice. With a wave of her hands, the Snow Queen vanished in a small blizzard leaving the battle.

 **OUaT**

As the mighty vessel rocked against the waves with the wind carrying it strongly, Flamel gazed at the magnificent view of the ocean as Arendelle slowly shrunk in the distance behind him. As he stared out at the sea, he fiddled with the coin he acquired earlier that day in his pocket. Pulling it out, he flipped it and caught it in the palm of his hand stroking the engraving with his index finger.

"LXG." he muttered looking at the letters; the first and last smaller at the sides while the X took up the majority of the coin, "Huh. I wonder what that means."


	38. Alchemy Swan

**Alright, I'm sure quite a few of you have been looking forward to this chapter. And don't worry, unlike last time, this chapter won't have any Rush Hour movie jokes/references; in hindsight, that wasn't as funny as I first thought. But in any case, this chapter is a bit shorter but has plenty of romance and League business ahead.**

 **Oh, and I made an unintentional FMAB reference in here, hope you can find it~!**

 **Well, without further adieu, here's another enticing chapter of The Evil Queen's Brother! Enjoy~**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything involving OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

In the depths of one of the underground laboratories, Skinner, Quartermain, Nemo and Sawyer were playing a game of poker while Mina was sitting elegantly on a chair while reading a book. It was an ordinary day in Storybrooke and all seemed quiet for a change. A few moments later, Nicholas entered the room looking sharp in his better looking clothes.

"Okay, guys. How do I look?" he asked looking slightly nervous.

"Whoa, mate! I though you loved this girl. Why are you trying to kill her?" Skinner asked.

"What?" he asked.

"Well, as you are now, you'll knock her dead." Skinner replied before grinning mischievously.

"…I'll actually give you points for that. It wasn't that bad." Nicholas admitted.

"Just remember to play it safe." Sawyer teased, "We all know how crazy kids your age can be around pretty girls."

"Tom, you're like three years older than me. Not to mention, you've had sex with Mina. You have no room to talk about playing it safe when it comes to sex; even if you're just kidding." Nicholas came back.

"He does have a point." Mina acknowledged looking up from her book and reading glasses while Sawyer looked back his cards causing the others to laugh.

"Well, as much fun as it's been making fun of Sawyer, I have date with a beautiful woman." Nicholas smirked as he headed to the entrance, "Don't wait up!"

As he about to pull out his car keys, he heard the door behind him open again. "Nicholas, wait." Mina said catching up.

"Mina. What did I forget something?" he asked.

"No, but maybe you should bring this along for tonight." she said pulling out a small velvet box. When she opened it, it revealed her old wedding ring from her previous marriage. "Perhaps it's time to make it official. I don't know Emma's size, but I'm sure your alchemy can fix that."

"Mina, I-I can't take that." he said in surprise at the offer, "This is your wedding ring."

"And I've worn it for more years than I was ever married. It's meant to be worn by a happy bride still with her love. Not some blood-sucking widow." she smiled, "I know you want to ask her. We all do."

"B-but I-"

"Just hold on to it for now." she pleaded before dropping her smile, "If you don't, I'll talk about all the times I've had sex with Henry, Sawyer and Mr. Q."

"Gimme." Nicholas said grabbing the box and marching over to his driver's seat, "I hate it when you use your sex life with the others as a weapon against me, Mina!" he cried as he drove off.

"Heheh. He's so easy to control and yet he thinks otherwise." Mina chuckled before heading back inside.

Elsewhere, at the Charming's loft, Elsa watched as Snow slammed book after book on the dining table in front of her. "Census records from the first and second curses. If Anna was ever in Storybrooke, we'll find some trace of her here."

"Your curses are very thorough." Elsa chuckled while Snow bounced Neal.

"That's just A-E." Snow informed bluntly as David dropped the rest on the table.

"Here's the rest of them." he grunted. As he did, Emma came in from her room dressed in a beautiful pink dress with her hair in a high ponytail with just enough make-up.

"Okay. I want honest opinions. What do we think?" she asked nervously while everyone looked at her in awe.

"Wow." Snow said.

"What your mother said." David added.

"Is that just the corset? Where's the rest of it?" Elsa asked kindly.

"This is the rest of it." Emma said finding the question odd.

"Someone's sister is going on a very big date tonight!" Snow cooed at her son as she placed him in his crib.

"Let's not oversell-" Emma said only to be cut off as her mother snapped a picture with an old flash camera, "Wow, I really need to get my own place." she laughed.

"Cut your mother some slack." David chuckled, "It's not like we got to send you to a ball."

"You sure you guys don't want help?" Emma asked, "Maybe I can get Nicholas to stay in for the night."

"Hmm. Enjoy some peace and quiet while looking at over a dozen consensus books, or looking at over a dozen consensus books while listening to Flamel's smartass remarks. Tough choice." David joked.

"My sister put her wedding on hold because of me. I don't want anyone else to stop living their lives on my account. Especially my two closest friends." Elsa added before a knock on the door could be heard.

"Here we go." Snow said in excitement.

"Okay." Emma said as she went over and opened the door to see her immortal boyfriend on the other side looking at her with nothing but love and his hand behind his back.

"You look stunning, Emma." he said softly with a smile.

"Thanks. So do you." she smiled. Nicholas then showed his hidden hand which had about five seeds in it. "Oh. Seeds." she said finding the gesture odd.

But with a playful smirk, the alchemist used his alchemy in the seeds and had them grow before everyone's eyes into beautiful, red roses in bloom and gave them to the now amazed blonde.

"Happy anniversary." he smiled as Emma held the roses close to smell them.

"Happy anniversary." she said back while putting the roses in a nearby vase, "So what exactly does the Immortal Alchemist have in store tonight?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to come along and find out, now won't you?" he playfully asked, "But first," he said reaching into his jacket pocket, "I think this wants to go around your neck before we leave."

As he said this, he got behind her and began to put a lovely diamond necklace around her neck. "Never let it be said that I don't try to spoil you from time to time." he said in her ear causing her to resist the urge to laugh.

"Okay. Let's get out of here before David gives you his overprotective dad speech." she suggested.

"Well, you can spare yourself the trouble, Dave. I assure you, your daughter couldn't be in safer hands."

"That's exactly what worries me, especially since you can make as many as you want and they'll just grow back if I cut them off." David retorted threateningly.

"I can take care of myself." Emma reminded with a fake smile.

"You sure you don't want me to drive?" he asked.

"Goodbye." Emma said embarrassed as she shut the door.

"I wasn't too hard on him, was I?" David asked the two women causing them to laugh.

After a short drive to the restaurant, Nicholas escorted Emma in to the delightful tune of soft piano music and chatter. "Not bad for our first official date in Storybrooke, huh?" he asked with a grin.

"I like that it's not Granny's." she said as Nicholas pulled out a chair for her.

"Shall I order us some drinks?" he asked.

"Not tonight." she replied with a guilty smirk.

"Why? Afraid that you'll find me even more irresistible after a few drinks?" Nicholas teased.

"No. I want to stay sober tonight just in case the Snow Queen decides to crash our date."

"You still think her being here has something to do with you." he huffed while trying to play it cool.

"I don't think it. I know it." she defended, "There was a puddle next to my car this afternoon."

"A puddle?" he asked trying not to laugh, "What's next? A cloud?"

"Nicky…" Emma sighed.

"Emma, I didn't bring you here to worry about the Snow Queen." he said taking her hands in his own, "I brought you here to celebrate a spectacular year of being with you and to show you a good time."

"Sigh…alright." she relented bringing back her smile, "Which reminds me. I got you something, too."

Reaching into her purse, and pulled out a new silver watch and began to put it on Nicholas's wrist. "I know you're smart enough to tell what time of day it is by looking at the sky or whatever, but I think this'll look good on you."

"Thanks, babe." he smiled before pulling up her hand to kiss it. As he did, their waiter came over with their drinks while a man staggered past them which resulted in a little of the wine splashing on Emma's dress.

"Oh, my God. Are you alright, mate?" he asked.

"Really?" Emma groaned.

Outraged, Nicholas grabbed the man by his jacket ready to teach him a lesson. But before he could make his threat, he immediately recognized the man who in turn recognized him as well.

"Will Scarlet?" he asked.

"Agent Flamel?" Will asked causing Nicholas to panic at his cover being blown. Thankfully, Emma was more focused on drying her dress and didn't catch that little tidbit. Without hesitation, Nicholas used his alchemy to slide Will across the floor and out into the streets before he could say anything else related to the League.

"That was too close." Nicholas thought trying to compose himself, "Why is it that all of the League's problems have been happening because of people from Robin's past?!"

"Nicholas?" Emma asked snapping the alchemist out of his thoughts, "Babe, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." he replied looking away from the door and back at her, "Nothing at all. Because we are on a date celebrating our anniversary and I am not going to let some drunken moron ruin it."

For the rest of the evening, no other unwanted circumstances occurred allowing the happy couple to enjoy their anniversary to the fullest. Well, not entirely to the fullest on account of Emma's overprotective parent's (namely father) made a point to ensure that Emma at the age of twenty-nine, almost thirty, practically had a curfew.

In blatant terms, they were once again being cock-blocked.

Moving on from that, Emma walked up the stairs to her home while wearing Nicholas's jacket while holding onto his arm like a love-struck teenager. In her defense, she rarely had the chance to act like this so she was going to express her feelings for as long and hard as she could before resuming her tough-girl personality.

"Well, not bad. You actually managed to make me forget that Storybrooke was under siege from an evil Snow Queen." Emma praised.

"I was worried that our run-in with that guy at the restaurant might have killed the mood tonight. I apologize for overreacting and making a scene with my alchemy like that." Nicholas apologized looking guilty as Emma took his hands in hers.

"Hey. It's okay. You want to come in and have coffee with my parents, a newborn and a human ice maker?" she asked jokingly, "I really need my own place."

"Look at this way, you don't live with Regina like I do." Nicholas laughed, "Maybe next year."

"Next year? That sounds pretty optimistic." Emma teased with a playful grin even though she liked the thought.

As she said this, Mina's ring suddenly felt heavier in Nicholas's pocket. "Oh, I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon, Savior. You can count on that."

She then took the initiative to pull him in for one last kiss. With her heart fluttering, Emma pulled away with a huge smile as she shrugged the jacket off. While her back was turned, Nicholas couldn't help but fiddle with the box in his pocket trying not to sweat.

"Hey, Emma." he said quickly.

"Yeah?" she asked turning towards him.

"I, uh…I…love you." he said finally deciding on his choice of words.

"Hmm." she hummed happily, "I love you, too. Goodnight, Nicholas."

"Good night." he whispered as she closed the door. On the other side, Emma pressed herself against the door letting all the butterflies in her stomach fly out.

"So how was it?" Snow asked surprising her daughter who finally noticed her parents sitting on the couch staring at her; Snow looking happier than David for obvious reasons.

"You guys are still awake." Emma chuckled.

"We want to hear everything about the date." Snow said.

"Just for the record, some of us don't want to hear…everything." David clarified.

"How was the restaurant? Did you go anywhere after? Was there a goodnight kiss? Oh, did he propose?" Snow asked without pausing for an answer.

"That, for instance, is something I don't want to know about." David added.

"I really need to get my own place." Emma sighed with a faint smile, "Goodnight, guys."

"She seems happy." Snow said as Emma went upstairs.

"I guess he really changed for her." David acknowledged.

"I can hear you guys." Emma informed from her room.

Outside, as he walked to his car, Nicholas couldn't help but mull over his thoughts. Some were about Emma, some were about the ring and some were about his concerns over his confrontation with Will Scarlet; that was definitely something he was going to talk about with the others once he got back to the laboratory.

Once he arrived, he found the four men asleep on the poker table with their liquor bottles empty and dry as per usual whenever the deck of cards were brought out. "Heh. Somethings will never change." he chuckled softly.

"Quite the quartet of lightweights, wouldn't you say?" Mina whispered from the nearby kitchen.

"Something tells me that Skinner and Sawyer were the only ones to pass out and the two geezers fell asleep on their own." he smirked.

"So, how was it?" she asked, "Did you give Emma the ring?"

"Oh." he said shocked that the vampire would get right to the point, "Uh, well, I-"

"I knew it." Mina groaned, "Boys! Wake up! Nicholas chickened out!"

"Called it! Pay up, Skinner!" Sawyer slurred as his head shot up from the table and then smack it as he fell unconscious again.

"Argh! Thas the las time I put faith in your romantical side, Nicholas Fla-Flamel!" Skinner slurred as he pulled out twenty bucks and threw them at Sawyer's head before tugging on his hat and falling back asleep.

"I did not chicken out!" Nicholas defended, "Besides, you guys will want to stay awake for what I have to tell you."

"Save it until morning, boy." Quartermain groaned as he covered his face with his hat.

"Will Scarlet is in Storybrooke and he called me Agent Flamel in public." Nicholas flatly informed causing everyone to scramble awake and look at him, "Feel like waiting until morning, now?"

"What do you mean he called you Agent Flamel?" Quartermain hotly asked.

"Exactly as I said. He bumped into our waiter, got wine on Emma, I pulled him in about ready to clock him in the face and realized it was him. And as soon as I did, he called me that out of shock at seeing my face after all these years." he explained.

"Please tell me Emma didn't hear that." Sawyer groaned as he dragged his hands down his face.

"No, she was too busy trying to dry off the mess he made before I threw him out with my alchemy. That's not what I'm concerned about. What I'm concerned about is that we now have two possible threats of exposure in addition to our base being compromised by the dark one who is now in possession of the Hat!"

"Actually, your sister hasn't been able to find a way to unfreeze Marian yet, so really, we just have the one threat of exposure right now." Skinner corrected.

"Still! We all know that Will has a hard time keeping his mouth shut, especially when he's drunk-which happens often!" Nicholas exclaimed.

"I don't understand. Last I heard, Scarlet was still in Wonderland ruling alongside the Red Queen after they got back together and took down Jafar." Sawyer recalled.

"Apparently, it didn't work out unless Snow White and Prince Charming's curse brought him here by mistake." Nemo speculated.

"Or both." Nicholas supplied, "Whatever the reason behind him being here, Scarlet was a high ranking member of the Merry Men. Robin put more of his trust and faith in him than he ever did Friar Tuck or Little John and he knows almost as much business about the League as Robin did before he left. What if he decides to let a few things slip to some of the townsfolk? What then?"

"Depending on how much time we have left until the Promised Day, we'll need to be cautious towards whomever he tells if he decides too." Mina reminded, "How much longer do we have, Nicholas?"

"We're looking at a little less than half a year; five months at most. And we still only have two human sacrifices right now, myself and Gold. That's definitely something we cannot let the public know yet. I don't care if our cover is blown first, we need to keep the Promised Day under wraps until all five sacrifices are here." he stressed.

"We shouldn't need to worry about Scarlet revealing that anytime soon." Quartermain coaxed, "Locksley wasn't briefed on this until after you ran into him after we returned to the Enchanted Forest."

"Excellent point, Mr. Q. But what happens if he spills the beans on us and Nicholas is left to face the heat again as the Charmings and the others begin questioning him like last time?" Mina asked, "We cannot afford to keep making slip ups like we have been lately."

"So, what? We just gonna kill 'em then?" Skinner asked.

"It's your call, boss." Nicholas sighed with his faces in his hands.

"…When next you see him, I want you to give him this message, Flamel. And tell him it came directly from me." Quartermain growled as he slammed his fist on the table in anger.

The following morning, Nicholas decided to check in on his favorite blonde at the sheriff's station. Ironically, as he entered the office, he spotted Will sleeping in one of the cells and as soon as he woke up, he cringed at the sight of both him and Emma.

"Oh, bloody hell." he groaned.

"Good morning, sunshine." Emma mocked, "Want to tell me why you broke into the library last night?"

"The what?" he asked, "Oh, that's what that place was? I just thought it was a poorly stocked pub."

"Okay, I get it. Every town needs a village idiot, but your little stunt pulled me away from an important investigation and interrupted my night off. Start talking."

"The last thing I remember is getting thrown out by your lover, and then I eased my pain with a nice bottle of whiskey." Will replied.

"Did you do it with all your friends, Alice and the White Rabbit?" Emma asked holding up a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland along with a torn page showing the illustration of the Red Queen, "This was on you in the library. Mean anything to you?"

"Nope. Doesn't mean a thing." he lied stiffly while eying Nicholas.

"Well, have fun reading, then." she said tossing the book in the cell.

"You're just gonna keep me here because I broke into a bloody library?" Will asked.

"Because you crashed my anniversary." Emma snapped before turning to Nicholas with a better mood, "Which turned out pretty good, despite the rude interruption."

"Emma," David called from her desk behind the glass, "There's something I need to show you."

"Okay, but make it fast. I want to go after the Snow Queen before the trail gets…cold." she said as she entered the office giving Nicholas the chance to give Quartermain's message.

"Hello, Will." he said standing in front of the cell.

"Agent Flamel." he nodded, "Let me guess, you're here to kill me, aren't you?"

"No. Not today, at least." he replied, "For now, I've just been told to give you a message. I believe that you can recall that Allan Quartermain is Senior Field Agent and head of my branch of the League?"

"Hard to forget that old tiger." Will remarked, "What about him?"

"He's asked me to give you a message; directly from his mouth." Nicholas informed still looking emotionless before changing his voice to match Quartermain's, "He said, 'Will Scarlet may live as long as he manages to keep his trap shut about our business. If he fails to do so, it's either my boot or my shot gun up his arse.' Also, you will be kept under surveillance by Nemo's men and if you let anything about us slip, sober or not, they have permission to but a bullet through your head."

"And here I thought Quartermain's boys were getting soft." Will joked, "Don't worry, mate. Your secret's safe with me. I washed me hands clean of the League when I left Robbie."

"Spare me the attempt at what you think is silver-tongue banter, Scarlet. We both know that anyone involved with LXG has anything but clean hands." Nicholas flatly spat, "Just keep in mind what I've said and we won't have any issues. Okay?"

"Crystal clear." Will nodded.

Once business was taken care of with the former Merry Man and night fell, Nicholas returned to the temporary base to report back to the others. Oddly enough, the only one he found was Mina sitting in her chair again.

"Good news?" she asked.

"I'd say so. We shouldn't have to worry about William any time soon so all we have to deal with now is getting our mansion and the Hat back." Nicholas informed.

"And you getting down on one knee and proposing to Emma." Mina added while turning a page in her book.

"Mina," he sighed, "Are you going to keep pestering me about this until I actually do it?"

"I'll give you three guesses as to what my answer is." she replied before sighing and shutting her book, "Why didn't you do it? You had the perfect setting: a romantic restaurant, subtle music, and on your anniversary, too. What went wrong?"

"…Do you really have to ask?" he muttered plopping on the sofa, "You know what's coming."

"Sigh…you're worried about the Promised Day." she realized before going over to sit next to him, "Nicholas, it's going to be fine. We've faced worse before."

"…That's exactly what you told Henry and Edward and look what happened to them." Nicholas bitterly reminded, "You don't know how dangerous he can be. You don't know him like I do. Even I don't know if I'll survive in the end."

"And that frightens you?" Mina asked.

"No. I'm not afraid to die. I've seen and caused too much death to fear such a thing." he replied.

"Then what is it? Tell me." she gently pleaded.

"…I don't want to hurt her." he muttered sadly, "If she lives and I die, I don't want to break her heart. She's had that happen too many time, already. I couldn't forgive myself if I ever let that happen to her because of me. Do I want to marry Emma? Of course, I do. But…I-I can't…I can't ask her when there's a higher chance of me dying in the next six months."

"…I understand." Mina finally said, "Really, I do. But I want you to promise me something, Nicholas. When we do beat the Homunculus, and we will, I want you to grow a pair and propose to that girl or else I'm going to break your knee and drop you to the ground for you. Come here."

Without any chance to argue, Nicholas was pulled into a warm and much needed hug by the beautiful vampire. True, Mina Harker was known to be a flirt, but when it came to Nicholas, she always treated him like the brother or son she never had; and not once did he ever complain.

They may act like they want to kill each other all the time, but in this branch of the League, everyone was considered family and like in every family, you looked out for each other. No matter how hard times are, no matter what lies ahead, you look out for your family and keep them safe. That's always been the unspoken rule and it will always be upheld in this branch of the League.

And if you didn't, Quartermain would shoot you in the head.

Hey, no family is perfect least of all theirs.

 **One thing I'd like to point out, I have no idea at what point I'm going to have Nicholas pop the question. He most certainly will at some point and I do plan on him and Emma having a little one or two of their own, but I don't know when exactly I want to do that so it's not really a guarantee that he'll do it after the Promised Day.**

 **In any case, I hope you enjoyed this and let me know what you think. See ya next time!**


	39. The Snow Queen

**Hello, I know it's been awhile, sorry. By now, I'm sure you've all gathered why it took me so long to get this chapter posted so I'll spare you my excuse. This one is comprised of little bits from three episodes. You know, I honestly thought I wouldn't have a hard time including Nicholas in this part of the season, but now I'm starting to think otherwise. That being said, things are going to pick up in the next chapter and once the Spell of Shattered Sight is cast on the town.**

 **But that comes later and I'm sure you guys are wanting to get to the story. So...stop reading this part and get on with it. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, FMAB or LXG.**

Several days after their anniversary, and a brief run in with the Snow Queen's magic, Nicholas decided to check in on Emma at the Sheriff's Station. Knocking on the office door, the young alchemist gained his girlfriend's attention.

"Howdy, sheriff." he teased with a hick accent.

"Were the hell have you been all day?" she chuckled as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"I told you, today's my sleeping day." he replied.

"Oh, yeah. I thought you were kidding." she replied.

"Nope. Hey, when you regularly go three weeks without any sleep like I do, you'll wanna sleep in even longer than I do."

"Is that why you said you were gonna be in one of those secret underground labs of yours?" Emma asked with a smirk.

"No. That was because if I did that at home I'd freak everyone who could hear me out because of my night terrors." he replied not seeing anything wrong or odd with his sentence.

"Night terrors?" she asked.

"Yeah, you know. Thrashing around in my sleep, knocking things over and breaking them. Me screaming bloody murder as I relive my traumatic past as a slave and intentionally/unintentionally hurting myself to take my mind off the mental pain. You know…a night terror." he explained without any sign of negative emotions.

"…Okay then." Emma drawled hoping to change the subject.

"You okay?" Nicholas asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just spent the past couple of hours dealing with your sister and the Snow Queen." she replied.

"Regina still giving you a hard time?" he asked taking the chance to rub the blonde's shoulders.

"Actually, I think I've finally gotten through to her and patched things up." she informed.

"Great. So why are you looking at that box with a look of sad nostalgia?" he asked.

"Because it has what's left of my childhood."

"Can I see what's inside?" he asked. Emma said nothing as she opened the box and rummaged through the near forgotten contents inside. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." she nodded before snorting at the sight of her old glasses. Nicholas continued to smile in amusement at all the things that made up his lover's past; that is until he spotted a picture of her with Neal. Emma struggled with her forming tears before grabbing an old camquarter and hooking it up to the T.V.

"I haven't watched this since I recorded it, but some things happened today, made me think about the past." Emma sighed.

"I'm here for you if you're ready to watch it." Nicholas softly said taking her hand in his, "Plus, I wouldn't mind seeing a part of your beginnings."

Emma just smiled at him with love before embracing herself to face her past. Once she presses play, a younger Emma, roughly 13, was giggling and making faces at the camera with another girl about her age with long black hair.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Just an old friend." Emma whispered as Nicholas put his arm around her. The video then went static before another recording appeared only this time, Emma was not as happy as before. In it, she was still the same age as before but trying to take back her camera from some chubby boy that kept teasing her.

"I'm guessing he wasn't another old friend?" Nicholas asked.

"I have no idea. I don't remember any of this. Maybe my next foster home?" she replied feeling confused.

"Blocked it out? Unpleasant time?"

"I guess." she said no less perplexed. The next person to show up on the screen was definitely familiar and shocked the happy couple. It was the Snow Queen of all people, dressed in modern clothes defending Emma from the bully.

"What the hell is this?" Nicholas asked as they both stared at the screen.

"I don't know." Emma said in shock.

The next day, Emma called everyone over to the station to show them what they discovered. Needless to say, everyone was just as surprised as they were.

"Emma, that's you." Snow said taking in the sight of her daughter, "You must be-"

"Thirteen, maybe fourteen." Emma replied.

"Are you missing the part where she's with the Snow Queen?" Regina asked clearly baffled, "Emma, you knew her before you came to Storybrooke?"

"Apparently, my run-in with her in town wasn't the only memory she erased. All this time in this foster home, or whatever that place was, it's gone." she explained.

"Look, I-I just don't understand how she ended up in this world." Belle said.

"We were hoping Gold could tell us that." Emma replied looking at the former cripple, "You spent more time trying to get here than anyone. How the hell did she do it?"

"Considering the time I spent on the same task, I'd love to know." he replied clearly miffed.

"Does it really matter how she got to Emma?" David asked, "I mean, shouldn't we be more concerned about why?"

"For once, I agree with sheep-head, here." Nicholas commented.

"Obviously, she needed her for something. But what?" Regina asked, "Well, that's our next problem."

"Well, we know she's hiding somewhere in the North woods. We combed every inch of her shop. We tore apart her house. She must have cleared everything out days before." David speculated.

"Which means she must be hiding something." Hook pointed out.

"Question is where?" Nicholas asked.

"What about her ice-cream truck?" Henry asked.

"Whoa, Snow Queen has an ice-cream truck?" Emma asked.

"You sound surprised. The town was made during 83, remember?" Nicholas reminded.

"Then we split up into groups. We search the town, the woods. Nicholas, Regina, Hook, Emma, you take the west. Gold, you're with me for the east." David assigned.

"I think we all know I work best alone." Gold argued.

"Well, no time to argue that." he nodded, "Belle, how are you at tracking?"

"Uh, actually, I-I think I'll be more helpful at the library." Belle offered, "Maybe I can dig something up on the Snow Queen."

"I'd like to come with you, Belle, if that's okay?" Elsa asked, "Maybe something about my sister will be there, too. Unless you'd rather not have the company?" she asked noticing Belle's expression.

"No, n-not at all." she assured, "I would love some."

After everyone went their separate ways, Nicholas and the others located the truck with Robin and some of his men's assistance. "David, call off the search party." Emma said into her walkie, "We found the truck near the Merry Men's camp."

"Thanks for keeping an eye out." Nicholas said to his fellow Leaguer.

"Gladly." he nodded, "Your lovely Savior is the first sheriff I don't mind assisting. Uh, Regina, there's something I would like to talk to you about."

"Uh, in case you haven't noticed, I'm about to storm an evil ice-cream truck." Regina said awkwardly.

"There's a sentence you don't hear every day." Nicholas chuckled.

"You could have just said 'maybe later'." Emma offered.

"I know you're trying to make everything better, but staying out of it is your best bet." Regina retorted, "It's bad enough I'm stuck here with you making eyes with my little brother."

"I don't make eyes." Emma sighed as Hook opened up the truck ahead of them.

"It appears she beat us to it." he informed as they climbed inside.

"What now?" Regina asked, "Should we question the cows she gets her milk from?"

"If we do, it's probably best if I stay behind. The temptation of cow-tipping is too great for me." Nicholas joked while Emma rolled her eyes and examined a locked freezer.

"Hang on. Look. Who locks their freezer? Was she afraid someone was gonna steal the Rocky Road?" she asked.

"Stand back." Hook said before breaking the lock with his namesake. Inside was something no one expected, a large folder filled with papers with one thing in common; Emma.

"Looks like the dairy queen's been following me for a long time." Emma said holding up a copy of a newspaper reporting when she and Pinocchio arrived in this realm.

"Is it just me, or am I not the only making snarky remarks anymore?" Nicholas asked, "I feel like you guys are stealing my thunder, or something."

"Oh, shut up, Nicholas." Regina groaned as she climbed out of the trunk.

"…I think that's actually the first time she's ever told me to shut up." he said looking at Emma and Hook.

"According to this she was my foster parent for six months." Emma said as she looked through the folder, "That's the longest I was ever in one spot, but I don't remember a second of it."

"You alright, Swan?" Hook asked.

"I'm fine. It was all a long time ago." she sighed.

"Perhaps, but wounds made when we're young tend to linger." Nicholas reminded as he struck a match and lit his pipe while he noticed Emma staring at an old painting, "What's that?"

"It's a painting I did when I was in school." she informed.

"What about it?" he asked.

"It's not the only one. This crazy woman has a whole file of my old art projects and essays…just like the ones we have for Henry." Emma said beginning to realize something, "You don't keep stuff like this unless you care about someone."

"I don't know if I'd rather want boss to do this or just keep slapping me upside the head to show his affection." Nicholas grimaced while flashes of years' worth of said slaps ran through his mind.

"Well, perhaps the Snow Queen wasn't simply using you. Perhaps she'd grown fond of you over time." Hook speculated while Emma opened an old card.

"Looks like the feeling was mutual." she said before reading aloud, "Thanks for being the family I never had. Love, Emma."

"Looks like you two were close once." Nicholas observed while letting out smoke.

"But she still erased my memories. Something must have happened to change all that. There has to be a clue as to why."

"Perhaps there is, if you can read hieroglyphs." Hook said pulling out an old scroll written in what resembled Nordic runes.

"This isn't from our world." Emma said, "What the hell was she doing with me?"

Later that day, Elsa barged into the station to tell Emma and Nicholas important news she discovered in the library. "Back up. The Snow Queen is your aunt?" Nicholas asked.

"According to this heraldry book I found in the library." Elsa replied showing the couple the book, "Her name is Ingrid."

"I didn't realize Queen Gerda had any sisters." Nicholas said, "I specifically remember snooping around every book I could find during my time at your castle and I never came across anything that indicated she had one sister, let alone two."

"I'm as surprised as you are." Elsa nodded.

"Well, spend a little more time in this town and you'll realize almost everyone's related." Emma remarked.

"This book traces the lineage in Arendelle for generations." Elsa said pointing to the pictures of her relatives, "That's Gerda, my mother. And this is Helga, my other aunt."

"Who bears a striking resemblance to you, Emma." Nicholas observed, "Maybe that's why she was so obsessed with you, why she kept all that stuff from your childhood."

"She came to this world looking for blondes?" Emma asked as Elsa reached for the old scroll from earlier, "There's a lot more than just me."

"God help us if there are." Nicholas joked causing Emma to smack his chest.

"She wasn't looking for a blonde. She was looking for the Savior." Elsa informed as she read the scroll.

"What?" she asked.

"This scroll, the writing is runic. It's a prophecy. It says, 'the name of the Savior is Emma.'" Elsa read.

"She knew?"

"Before you even did. She knew you were powerful."

"But why?" Nicholas asked.

"It says it right here. 'And the Savior shall become Ingrid's sister.'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Emma asked.

"Well, my mother died, and her other sister, she's not around anymore. I think Ingrid believes in this prophecy. I think she's looking to replace them." Elsa guessed as Belle barged in looking panicked and guilty.

"Elsa." she said.

"Belle, what is it?" she asked sweetly.

"I…-I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, but…I've been keeping a secret. I know your sister, Anna. She helped me once. But when I had a chance to help her, I let her down." Belle admitted, "And because I did, she was captured by the Snow Queen."

"What?" Elsa asked, "Where did this happen? When?"

"Arendelle…a long, long time ago. And I have no idea where she is now." she said while Elsa looked as though she was about to have a panic attack, "But, uh, I'm afraid we have a more pressing concern. The Snow Queen has a mirror imbued with terrible magic that can do terrible things."

"Mirror? Easy enough, let's just go smash the damn thing." Nicholas suggested.

"It's not that simple." Belle argued, "Rumple told me it's part of an awful spell; the Spell of Shattered Sight. If she casts it, its magic will make everyone in Storybrooke turn on one another. And no offense, Nicholas, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd be in trouble if you were affected by this, too."

"I wouldn't be the only one to worry about." he thought thinking about the other League members and what they could be capable of, "The town would destroy itself."

"And there would be no one left." Belle nodded.

"Except us." Emma said looking at Elsa.

"What makes you think that she'd spare you and Elsa?" Belle asked.

"Because of this." Emma sighed tapping the book and scroll.

"She wants it to be just the three of us." Elsa whispered in fear.

"Her perfect family." Emma nodded.

The next day, after receiving a call from David, Emma was able to intercept the Snow Queen and capture her at the clock tower easily; too easily from Nicholas's perspective. As she and Elsa were at the station to perform the interrogation, Nicholas was at home enjoying at little quiet time and one of his delicious plums while Regina looked over Henry's storybook.

"Hey, Uncle Nicholas." Henry said coming into the den looking sharply dressed holding a tie, "Could you help me with this thing?"

"Well, look at you all dressed up." Nicholas smirked, "What's the occasion?"

"I'm getting married." he replied causing Regina to look like the world was coming to an end, "Work." he clarified, "With Grandpa. At the shop."

"Heh, heh, that's my boy." Nicholas laughed in his head at Henry's wit.

"He said if I was gonna learn the family business, I'd have to represent the family business. Which would be fine if it didn't also mean wearing a tie."

"Sure thing." Nicholas said getting up and began to tie it with expertise, "By the way, if you ever see your grandpa try to make a joke by chasing you around with an orange peel that looks like fangs in his mouth, tell him you're not Michael Corleone."

"Godfather reference?" Henry asked smirking.

"Don't ask me about my business, Henry." Nicholas replied trying to sound like Al Pacino.

"Well, I think you look very handsome." Regina complimented while Henry noticed she was hurting inside.

"Hey, Uncle?" Henry asked, "Can I have a minute with Mom for a sec? Alone?"

"Hmm." Nicholas grinned feeling proud of his nephew over his concern for Regina, "Sure thing, kiddo. In fact, I think I'm gonna head over to the clock tower and check out the Snow Queen's mirror with Elsa and the others."

And with that, Nicholas transported himself to the entrance of the library and made his way up to the top where he found Elsa, Hook and David examining the large white mirror.

"Hey, guys." he greeted, "Anything interesting yet?"

"Not hardly." Hook remarked, "I mean, this is what we've been worried about? Shouldn't it be shaking or doing something evil?"

"Agreed." Elsa nodded as Belle came up and joined them, "It feels like just a harmless looking glass to me."

"I've found nothing to counteract the spell yet." she informed before overreacting at everyone staring at the glass, "Hey, stop! Do not look in that thing. It'll make you see the worst in yourself."

"You sure?" Nicholas asked, "I mean, I know my self-esteem can be pretty low sometimes, but I don't feel any different even in the brief time I've been looking at this thing."

"Aye," Hook nodded, "I've been staring at it all day, and I think I'm even more devilishly handsome and charming than usual."

"Well, we know Hook's self-esteem and ego are as high up as ever." Nicholas dryly thought.

"Uh…this isn't the same mirror." Belle informed.

"Why would the Snow Queen risk coming all the way out here to plant a fake mirror?" Elsa asked.

"Because she wanted to get caught." David realized before everyone else caught on and followed him out to the sheriff's station. Unfortunately, as soon as they arrived, they found all the entrances and windows glazed over by Ingrid's ice which sent them over to Gold's for his help.

"Ah, this kind of procession never bodes well." Rumple muttered as they barged into the shop.

"Save it, snaggle-tooth." Nicholas snapped, "The Snow Queen iced over the locks of the sheriff's station. Emma's trapped inside with her."

"We need your help, Rumple. You must be able to get us in there." Belle pleaded.

"How could I ever turn down the pleas of my beloved wife?" Rumple asked, "After you."

Once again, the party rushed outside in order to protect their friend from any harm from the Snow Queen. As they headed over to the station, Mary Margaret noticed them outside of Granny's and joined them as her husband filled her in on the situation. Hearing a loud explosion, they followed the sound to the back parking lot and saw Emma looking at a massive hole in the building in shock.

"Emma!" David shouted, "Are you alright?"

"We were so worried." Snow panted.

"Wait!" Emma warned.

"Seems you didn't need my help after all." Gold remarked.

"Emma, what did that bitch do to the sheriff's station?" Nicholas asked.

"The bitch who did this was not the Snow Queen. It was me." Emma informed looking scared.

"What?" David asked as he and Nicholas tried to soothe the frightened blonde.

"Just keep your distance." she warned while trying to get away, "I don't know if I can control myself. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Emma." Nicholas begged.

"We should heed her words." Rumple warned.

"Emma, we can help." Elsa assured.

"Just stay away!" Emma pleaded as Nicholas tried to grab her arm, "Let me go!"

In her attempt to shrug her boyfriend off, Emma unintentionally blasted him and a nearby streetlight with her magic as the station's lights exploded. The streetlight began to tip over which managed to catch David's arm during the fall causing him to fall to the ground and clutch his arm in pain.

"David!" Snow cried rushing to her husband.

As for Nicholas, well, he managed to receive a greater injury. Now, remember, any time Nicholas is struck by magic, his body doesn't respond well and in this case, that was proven once again. When Emma tried to shove him off with her arm, the blast hit the entire left side of his upper torso and head, which would have knocked his Philosopher's Stone out of him if he hadn't moved it to the other side of his chest. Unfortunately, this still rendered him to the ground with a large portion of his body destroyed and being slowly/painfully regenerated.

Emma could only look at them in horror feeling nothing but guilt and heartache at what she had done. And to make matters worse, Snow decided to open her mouth before thinking; again.

"Emma!" she snapped hotly making her daughter only feel worse. Seeing her daughter's expression, Snow realized what she did and tried to take it back knowing fully well what Emma was going to do next: run. "Emma. Emma, wait."

But it was too late. Emma saw the look of fear and anger in her parents' eyes and that was more than enough for her to take the chance to run over to her car and drive away.

"No, please, come back!" Snow cried, "It's okay!"

"Swan!" Hook called.

"Emma!" Nicholas shouted through his pain. Emma only ignored them as she got in her car and drove away. Little did any of them notice, but Ingrid watched the entire scene play out from behind a nearby building.

After hours of searching, Hook, Elsa, Nicholas and David returned to the loft to let Snow know what they found.

"Did you find her?" she asked.

"No. We looked everywhere, which means only one thing." David replied.

"She doesn't want to be found." Hook finished.

"I've been through this." said Elsa, "And I saw the same looks on my loved ones' faces as Emma just did. I saw fear."

"…David, we failed today." Snow sighed causing Nicholas's jaw to clench and veins to rise on his temples, "When our daughter needed us most, she looked in our eyes, and…all she saw was fear. This Snow Queen has some mirror that turns us against each other? Well, she doesn't need it. Look at us. We're doing it to ourselves."

"…That's rich, seeing as you were the only one who scared her off." Nicholas growled trying to control his rage, especially around baby Neal.

"Nicholas?" Elsa asked not liking where her old friend was taking this.

"Mate, try to calm down." Hook coached.

"You got something you wanna say, Flamel?" David hotly asked.

"I believe I just said it." Nicholas snapped seething with anger, "I only angry with your self-absorbed wife right now, you sure you wanna get on my bad side, too?"

"Hey!" David snapped shoving the alchemist back, "Don't talk about my wife like that!"

"Oh, so you do wanna play this game then." Nicholas said about ready to push back only to be held back by Killian and Elsa.

"Easy, mate. Easy." Killian said grabbing the alchemist's arms while Elsa got in front of him, "You're upset, we get that. Why don't you just head outside, take a minute and smoke one of those cigars of yours?"

"Oh, there aren't enough cigars in this realm to calm me down right now." Nicholas snarled glaring at the Charmings, "You have no idea what's out there. None of you! You have no idea the kind of danger Emma is in out there alone!"

 **OUaT**

As the hours went by in Storybrooke, the ever growing brighter color of the orange sunrise slowly began to begin. As it did, an unknown tunnel that led into the depths of Storybrooke became easier to see and the growling beast inside. In the shadows, two round, red eyes glowed as the creature that owned them trudge out into the fresh morning air. Hunched over and panting with excitement, the creature raised its arms and fists into the air happily.

"Time to eat!" it cried letting its tongue hang from its mouth. Funny thing about this creature's tongue.

It had an Ouroborous tattoo on it identical to Lust's.

 **Uh-oh! Guess who's hungry?**

 **Now I bet some of you can tell that I included my own personal view on how Snow said that both she and David failed Emma in that episode. I mean, come on! She was the only one that acted afraid of Emma and snapped at her over an accident! If she admitted that it was her fault and David said he failed her too, well...I'd call bull crap on that too but it would show that he has more humility than his wife does!**

 **Oh, and regarding those who thought I was shipping Nicholas with Mina and Elsa, I'm just gonna clear some things up because I have realized that it does kind of look like that; slightly. Mina is simply like an elder sister figure for Nicholas whenever he does business with the League. It's also why he's one of the few men she would try to get into bed with.**

 **As for Elsa, those two are just childhood friends/ childhood sweethearts. And I mean like the kind that only ever held hands, cuddled and lightly kissed a few times so, no, I am not shipping those two. Elsa had her chance and you guys wanted either Ruby or Belle at the time before I made Emma an option.**

 **Though, it's probably best that I didn't do that because that would make this story a little too much like "Twice Upon a Time" a fanfic a friend of mine is doing where Emma has a twin brother who ends up with Elsa. Really great story, I highly recommend it.**

 **Well, I've rambled enough. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and you will enjoy the next one.**

 **Spoiler Alert!**

 **Emma is the one who runs into our newly introduced character in the next chapter.**

 **See ya!**


	40. Smash the Mirror & Fall

**Whoo! I am back, baby! You guys would not believe how hectic its been for me these past few weeks. First of all, last week had me so swamped with school work, I had to pull two all-nighters in a row! Along with that, I had two tests, five extremely hard math assignments, two papers and a quiz. And to make things even better, my home town got hit by a tornado last Monday which did plenty of damage to my friends' and neighbors' homes; one of which has a huge trampoline logged into the side of their house. Thankfully, my family is fine and all we lost were some shingles and our backyard fence and shed.**

 **But aside from that, its spring break for me, I plan to relax, play Skyrim and type this story for all you amazing readers out there. I know you guys have been waiting, so here it is.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

"Ah, damn it!" cried a scratchy male voice. In the crisp morning air of Storybrooke, a young man with black hair slicked back wearing black short and a sleeveless muscle shirt with a black head band looked around in panic searching for something.

"I can't believe that fat idiot managed to find a way out!" he yelled clutching his head, "Father's going to be furious when he finds out."

"Oh, he knows." another man's voice said from inside the tunnel. Coming into the light, the newcomer was dressed in black slacks and a sleeveless muscle shirt and looked to be a few years older than the younger man and had a confident, almost arrogant, smile. "You really, screwed up this time, Envy. Letting Gluttony out of your sight this close to one of the few entrances Pops hasn't sealed off. How embarrassing."

"And I take it you're just gonna stand there and mock me, aren't you, Greed?" Envy asked.

"Well, as much I enjoy doing it, Father wanted me to tell you that you have until noon to find Gluttony and bring him back. Otherwise, you might just find yourself taking trip back to where we come from, if you catch my drift." Greed replied smirking.

"Shouldn't be too hard." Envy scoffed, "No one comes through this neck of the woods so it's not like there's anybody around for him to eat."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Greed asked with a scoff.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, so you didn't hear about what happened yesterday in town. Seems that the Savior is having a little trouble controlling her magic since she blasted a hole in the sheriff's station yesterday. And as your luck would have it, she's been hiding out around here all night with everyone out looking for her." he said causing Envy's eyes to widen, "And I don't think I need to remind you that Father sees potential in her. So if Gluttony eats her because you let him wander off, you're gonna be in trouble~!" Greed sang causing Envy to grit his teeth and snarl.

"Fine. I'll go get 'em." Envy spat before running into the woods and doing something unexpected; he transformed himself into a hawk exactly like Nicholas would with his Stone.

Little did either of them know, the very person they were looking for was humming softly through the woods while clutching a headless baby deer in one hand as he yanked off a large chunk of its flesh with his teeth.

 **OUaT**

Not much farther away, Emma was sleeping in the front seat of her car in the middle of a small clearing; that is until she was awakened by her hands sparking with raw magical energy. Seeing this, she tried to calm herself down while getting out of the vehicle in hopes of getting some fresh air. As she paced and tried to control herself, Emma heard the voice of the one person she didn't want anywhere near her with her powers acting up, Henry.

"Mom?" he called approaching her.

"Henry?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I've been out all night looking for you. Everyone has." he replied.

"I told them all to stay away. I can't control my powers right now. Listen, don't worry about me. I'm gonna find a way to fix this. But until I do…you got to go." Emma gently warned.

"No." Henry argued, "You always think that pulling away from people will fix your problems, but it never does. I can help you."

"Henry, just wait." Emma pleaded as her son tried to take her hands, but as soon as he did, he was sent flying back by a powerful blast of magic. "Henry! Henry, are you okay?! You okay?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Henry replied finding a bit of blood from behind his ear as his mother came to check on him while keeping her distance.

"Is that a cut?" she asked, "Henry, what did I do?"

"I-it's fine. I'm okay." he tried to assure.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Emma said frantically.

"Mom-"

"Stop!" she snapped, "Please, don't come any closer. I love you, kid, but you have to go."

As she said this, another blast of magic fired from her hands uncontrollably. "Go!" she pleaded. With no other choice, Henry scrambled away and ran back to town.

"I know exactly how you feel." Ingrid said suddenly appearing behind Emma, "Seeing the fear in his eyes."

Emma was about to snap at her with an insult but instead fired off more of her magic into the air which only made her feel even more afraid. "You _are_ out of control. But, Emma, you're not going to hurt me. Nor should you. I'm on your side."

"Just leave me the hell alone." Emma spat while storming off.

"You can run, but it won't help." Ingrid warned, "The only way this ends is by embracing who you are."

"If it means hurting people I love, no, thanks." she said walking further into the woods not knowing what lied ahead. Thankfully, Ingrid didn't pursue Emma after she stormed off. Not long after she left her former foster parent, Emma finally stumbled upon Gluttony as he finished off the remainder of his snack.

Picking up her scent, Gluttony turned his fat head to see Emma looking disgusted at all the blood on his face. "You smell like lemons." he said grinning as he faced her and whipped the blood off his face, "Do you taste like lemons, too?"

 **OUaT**

Once everyone returned to the loft after searching for Emma all night, Henry came back and told them about his encounter with his mother. After Snow cleaned up his wound and put him upstairs, Elsa decided to help by giving him some ice.

"How is he?" Nicholas asked.

"I gave him enough ice for the week." she joked, "It should help with the swelling."

"No. How is he?" Snow asked.

"…Upset." Elsa relented, "I just wanted him to understand that Emma's magic is tied to her emotions, like mine. The reason she hurt him is because she was trying so hard not to hurt him. It sounds very convoluted when I try to explain it now."

"No. No, um, it makes perfect sense." Snow agreed as Regina barged in.

"Where's Henry? Is he okay?" she asked.

"He's fine. He's upstairs." Nicholas replied, "We've been trying to call you all night."

"Well, I'm sorry if I don't respond to your every summons!" she snapped, "Though I did bring that locator potion you wanted. Next time, maybe try leading with, 'thank you.' Now, may I please see my son?"

"You might want to finish buttoning your shirt first." Snow whispered only to be heard by Nicholas who groaned in disgust.

"Oh. Well, I was in a rush to get here." Regina lied.

"Keep telling yourself that, sis." Nicholas thought before thinking about Emma again.

 **OUaT**

"Do I smell like what?" Emma asked baffled at the question, "Look, pal, I don't know what your deal is, but trust me, you should keep your distance."

Still giving that stupid, innocent smile, Gluttony sniffed the air around her, "I also smell somebody that smells like Father on you. Now how could that be?"

"What the hell is he talking about? His father?" Emma thought before realizing Gluttony charged at her with insane hunger. Raising her hands, Emma blasted the Homunculus back into a tree causing his head to split. Before the shock over killing someone could sink in, Emma noticed her attacker regenerate.

"That lightning, it's just like how Nicholas heals!" she thought in shock.

"That hurt!" Gluttony cried with tears in his eyes, "I just want to eat you! So why did you kill me?"

"What the hell is this freak?" Emma thought before speaking, "Guess I don't have to go easy on you, then."

Getting serious, she sent another powerful burst of magic at Gluttony which destroyed his left arm and made him cry out in pain as he regenerated. With surprising agility, he jumped over to her and began to flail his strong arms at her only to miss at each swing. Emma tried to blast him again, but Gluttony finally managed to land a punch on her which knocked her out in the process.

Panting and smiling, the fat Homunculus looked down at the fallen Savior ready to eat with his fat tongue dangling out of his mouth. But before he could enjoy his meal, he was stopped by the sound of Envy's voice.

"Stop it! Now, Gluttony!" he shouted hotly.

"Envy?" he asked confused.

"That stupid stomach of yours is going to get us all into trouble one of these days, you know that?" Envy spat, "Gah! I can't believe you almost ate a candidate for human sacrifice!"

"I did?!" Gluttony asked looking frightened, "W-who?!"

"…You have no idea who this is, do you?" Envy dryly asked.

"…You mean her?!" he asked pointing at Emma.

"Yes, her, you idiot!" Envy shouted, "That's Emma Swan, the Savior!"

"Really? I thought she'd be taller."

"That's not the point, you fat ass!" he screamed, "We'll talk about this later, Father's angry enough that you got out on my watch as it is. Let's just go home before things get any worse. If Greed hasn't done that already, that is."

After the two artificial humans left, Emma eventually regained consciousness and found her hands sparking with magic once again. With no other option in mind, the Savior decided to go to the one person who she thought could help her; Rumplestiltskin.

 **OUaT**

Back at the loft, everyone was still feeling down about not finding Emma when suddenly, Snow's phone buzzed with Emma on the other line. "It's her." she informed before answering, "Oh, yes, yes. No, he's fine. Emma, I am so sorry about what happened yesterday. I don't want you to ever think that we are afraid of you. No, of course it matters…Emma, no, wait."

"What did she say?" David asked.

"She said she's going to get rid of her magic, forever." Snow replied.

"How is that even possible?" Elsa asked.

"She said it will all be over soon, and she can't wait to be home for a cocoa with cinnamon."

"Did she say anything about the method?" Nicholas asked trying not to let anyone know he knew what was going on, "Was it a spell or a magic object of some kind?"

"Who cares how she's doing it? That's not what matters here." David bluntly pointed out.

"No, of course not, you're right." Nicholas nodded, "I wonder if she tried to call me. Damn, must've left it in my car. Be back in a sec."

Once he left the loft and headed down the stairs, he pulled out his phone and left a voicemail on his girlfriend's phone warning her to stay away from Gold. "Emma, whatever it is you're planning to do, don't do it or else you'll never be home for hot chocolate and cinnamon again."

When he came back in, he noticed three things missing; Emma's scarf, the locator potion, and Elsa. Needless to say, everyone went back to searching for Emma along with her fellow magic-wielding blonde. Fortunately for him, Nicholas was able to pick up the trail faster than anyone and ran towards the mansion where Emma and Elsa were safe and sound.

"Emma!" he cried once he spotted her before running up to hold her, "Are you alright?"

"She didn't do it. She didn't take away her magic." Elsa informed happily.

"Wow, I've never seen people so happy about me not doing something." Emma said while being squeezed.

"We'll find another way to defeat the Snow Queen; together." Nicholas promised before kissing his true love. Elsa simply blushed and looked away with a smirk.

"Mm. Easy, snake-boy, we've got company." Emma reminded, "I didn't know you were such a fan of my magic."

"Why would you say that? I'm a fan of every part of you." Nicholas smirked while noticing Emma's odd expression, "You okay? You look at me any harder and you're gonna drill a hole in my head."

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that…I saw something weird this morning that reminded me of you and not in a good way." she replied.

"Uh…okay?" Nicholas replied not sure how to respond or feel to that, "Why don't you go outside? The others are out waiting to see you, too."

When he was sure the two ladies were gone, Nicholas headed over to the room Gold had placed the Hat in. When he opened the door, he found nothing which made him clench his fists on the doors in anger causing them to be crushed in his grip.

"That midget bastard!" he snarled before heading back outside. Fortunately, he made it just in time to watch Emma show off by making an aurora borealis turn into fireworks that lit up the sky. Naturally, everyone smiled at the spectacle including Nicholas who wrapped his arm around Emma and kissed her head.

"Mom, when did you get that?" Henry asked pointing at a strange yellow ribbon on her left wrist; which was identical to the one on Elsa's.

"Emma, what's happening?" Elsa asked as they struggled to take the ribbons off, "It won't come off."

"Mine won't either." she said as they both began to glow.

"I feel it too. It's like it's funneling all my magic away, like it's harnessing it somehow." said Elsa.

"Any idea what this is?" David asked.

"No." Emma replied, "But I have a pretty good idea where it came from."

Little did any of them know, but in her cave in the woods, Ingrid destroyed her mirror and finally enacted the Spell of Shattered Sight. Unlike Regina's curse, this spell had a much slower pace, it hadn't even reached the town yet the following morning.

"Belle was right." Elsa said as everyone watched the spell's cloud slowly approach the town, "My aunt is actually doing this."

"Judging by the pace it's currently at, I'd say we have until…sundown; at the most." Nicholas estimated.

"We open the mines and the vault. We take shelter there." David suggested.

"This is magic. It doesn't care about ceilings." Regina sighed, "By sundown, everyone in this town will be tearing each other apart."

"Okay, the answer is simple. Let's not be in town." Emma suggested.

Over at the ice wall, the party tried to devise a way to break past it in hopes of escape. "Hardly an elegant solution." Regina remarked.

"Nothing wrong with brute force if it works." Emma countered.

"Well, if blasting the bloody thing with a bazooka doesn't count as brute force, then I'd hate to know what does." Hook commented glancing at Nicholas.

"Where the heck did you get a bazooka anyway?" Emma asked.

"I know a guy. Uh, Leroy, any ideas?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"If we can get over, we can build a frame, take people over one at a time. Maybe try making a ramp with your alchemy first."

"Alrighty." he nodded. Without so much as a twitch, the ground beneath him elevated into a ramp. Unfortunately, as soon as Nicholas made it to the top, the wall grew even taller and pierced his shoulders causing him to roll down the ramp.

"Okay, that didn't work." he grunted while healing. Because of this, the base of the wall split and revealed something to Elsa; her sister's necklace.

"Emma, look." she said happily, "It's Anna's necklace. I thought it was lost, it's like a miracle.

"Glade you found it."

"It's a sign, Emma, a sign we're gonna win."

"Is everyone into this hope thing now?" Regina asked.

"If we're gonna win, we need to stop wasting time. Mom, Dad, Leroy, go tell everyone what's going on. When this goes down, everyone needs to be separated from their loved ones if they don't want to hurt each other. Killian, you and Ariel go to the waterfront, see if we can use boats to get some people out."

"I have to warn Robin Hood. His camp's not far from here." Regina informed.

"Okay, go. Elsa, Nicholas and I are gonna talk to Gold, see if he has any ideas. Henry, you come with us."

"No." Regina interjected, "He's with me. I'm Henry's best chance."

"That might not be true." Elsa argued, "Emma and I? I think we're immune."

"What?" she asked.

"These ribbons. If the Snow Queen wants us to be her sisters, then the curse won't affect us." Elsa explained.

"So I should definitely watch Henry." Emma stressed.

"No, you're part of this nut job's plan." Regina debated, "I want Henry near me as long as it's safe for him."

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be fine with her." Henry assured.

"One other thing." Nicholas interjected, "I'm not going with you and Elsa."

"Why not?" Emma asked.

"I have too many things to check and make sure stay safe when this spell hits. If I don't, we're all gonna be in trouble. I'll meet you at the station later when I'm done." he informed before pulling Emma into a hug and deconstructing himself away. His first stop, Robin's camp where the others were.

When he reconstructed himself, he found his fellow agents gazing up at the cloud of magic and broken glass. "Guys!" he yelled gaining their attention, "Guys, we gotta move, now!"

"Nicholas?" Robin asked, "Mate, what are you doing here?"

"No time. Listen, Regina's on her way here to warn you about the incoming spell. The rest of you need to get back into the tunnels before she gets here." he explained, "Boss, have you come up with a way to keep you guys out of sight, yet?"

"That I'm leaving up to you, Flamel." Quartermain gruffly said, "Although, it won't be able to keep us at bay for long. Do you think you can avoid this damn thing?"

"I can try. I was gonna coat myself in my shield under a dome covered with my shadows. If that doesn't work, then this town is gonna find out what LXG can do sooner than we wanted."

"Wherever it is you plan on sealing them, I'm going with you." Robin informed, "I may not be part of your branch, but my skills are dangerous enough to do tremendous damage to the townspeople."

"Bud, you're in LXG. Our branch or not, you're certifiably capable of wiping out everyone in this town with little to no effort." Sawyer reminded, "What's the plan, Boss?"

"Flamel's going to trap us with his alchemy before the spell hits far enough from the civilians. If he manages to spare himself, then it'll be his job to keep the six of us at bay until the Savior defeats the Snow Queen and ends the spell."

"And if I'm not?" Nicholas asked.

"Well, just think of how Sawyer and I repeatedly shot you in the head while Skinner broke your arms and legs last year." Quartermain bluntly suggested, "Should be more than enough to kick-start you're spell induced rage towards us causing you to come find us and fight us."

"Well, with a plan like that just proves why you're the boss, Boss." Nicholas complimented, "Now hurry! Regina could be here any minute!"

 **OUaT**

In another realm there was a kingdom completely frozen in solid ice along with everyone in it. This kingdom was known as Arendelle and inside the castle, Anna, now a beautiful young woman, and her fiancé Kristoff found themselves being thawed along with everything around them.

"Holy cats! That is cold!" Anna said the moment she could move.

"Ice is like that, I've noticed." Kristoff commented as he tried to warm up.

"The urn!" Anna realized, "It was here. It's gone, and so is Elsa and my aunt!"

"But I saw you with it." Kristoff recalled.

"Well, now it's missing, and Elsa is in it. I just have to get her out, let her know I didn't mean it." Anna rambled while stepping on something that crunched under her boots.

"What's that?"

"It's straw. Gold straw…Rumplestiltskin!" she realized, "Kristoff, my aunt doesn't have the urn. He does."

"You are literally hanging a big assumption on a really thin straw." he bluntly pointed out.

"But it makes sense. She would never let someone walk off with something he valued." Anna argued, "I should've known he'd follow me."

"And this is…good news?" Kristoff asked.

"Don't worry. We can get to him we can handle him. And even if we can't, I know someone we can trust who can help us. Elsa is the only one who can rule Arendelle."

"Um, I beg to differ." argued a man with long sideburns as he barged in with several other brutes at his side with drawn swords.

"What are you doing here, Hans?" Anna asked her ex-fiancé and current enemy.

"Hearing you confess you attacked the reigning queen, and then lost her to another land, that sounds like treason to me. Doesn't it, guys?" he asked his brothers.

"And to think I sang with you." Anna spat in disgust causing Hans's brothers to laugh while he blushed.

"You're both under arrest, under my order as the new king of Arendelle." Hans informed.

"What?" she asked.

"We were all frozen, but now that your sister's spell has worn off, no one will argue with a new benevolent leader such as myself."

"It wasn't her." Anna hissed.

"As if anyone will believe that." Hans smirked arrogantly.

"Okay, you know what? You got us." Kristoff said holding his arms up in surrender. Just as they were about to bind their hands, the young couple easily disarmed them and took their weapons turning the tables. When they had the chance, they made a break for the door in escape.

"Wait!" Anna said panting as they made it into the woods, "Stop! Too much running!"

"So," Kristoff asked while panting, "Who's this person we're gonna get help from?"

"Heh, somebody Hans and Rumplestiltskin better be afraid of." Anna laughed, "An old friend of mine; Nicholas Flamel."

 **OUaT**

"Uh, boss?" Nicholas asked looking skeptic, "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Would I ask otherwise?" Quartermain harshly asked as he and the others began to dig holes outside of town.

"I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable practically putting you guys, except Mina, into coffins." he said.

"Lad, trust me, none of us want you to do it." Skinner said dryly.

"They're not actual coffins, Nicholas." Nemo reminded, "We're just having you put our containers in the ground so our inevitable escape will be somewhat more difficult for us."

"Though, for the sake of dramatic effect, I would recommend making mine an actual coffin." Mina suggested, "I am the living dead, after all."

"I thought that was zombies, not vampires." Sawyer said.

"No, you're thinking the walking dead, man." Nicholas corrected, "And thanks to my mother's twisted sense of humor and manipulation, I speak from experience. Okay, so, we just need to wait on Robin and then you guys go six feet under, so to speak."

"I swear, if you don't put air holes in mine, I will kill you, Flamel." Skinner threatened.

"Oh, don't worry, Skinner, I will." Nicholas replied before muttering, "Just probably not as many as the others after that little threat. Oh, this is gonna be one crazy ass, shit filled night!"

 **OUaT**

Once Anna and Kristoff managed to make it to port, the searched for the one kind of ship they knew would take anybody for the right price, a pirate ship. "Okay, so all we need to do is find somebody here who's a pirate to take us to Misthaven so we can find the alchemist friend of yours, right?" Kristoff asked.

"Right, and as luck would have it, this particular port is a certain pirate's favorite so we know that there's a good chance he'll be here." Anna nodded.

"And that would be…"

"Captain Blackbeard." Anna replied not at all worried while her fiancé became pale with fear.

"Remind me, how do you know about all these dangerous people again?" he asked.

"I wouldn't call Nicholas dangerous." Anna smirked, "Although, he is kinda dangerous, but that's only because he gets into trouble a lot. At least, he did back when we were kids, so he might be better at not doing that or he may be even worse than before."

"How do you even know if this guy is still alive?"

"Considering that he's immortal, I'd say pretty good." Anna replied.

"Wait. You were serious about that?" Kristoff asked.

"Believe me, after watching him walk right into one of the display armors' lances only to heal completely a few seconds later after saying, 'oh, look at that, I've been impaled,' there's no arguing with him about that." Anna replied dryly laughing at the somewhat dark memory.

"…Honey, have you ever noticed that a majority of the people in your life are weird?" he asked.

"Yes, but that's just one of the things I love about you." Anna replied misunderstanding the question.

"I didn't exactly mean me." he bluntly said as they came up to the Revenge, "So, I don't see like a doorbell or anything so how do we-"

"Captain Blackbeard?" Anna called as she boarded the ship.

"Oh, okay. Just-just get on the ship full of pirates and zombies and hope for the best." he said to himself out loud.

"Be it my birthday already?" Teach asked jokingly, "Or am I simply fortunate enough to find a beautiful young lass calling out my name?"

"An engaged lass, by the way." Kristoff added as they approached the pirate.

"Congratulations, I suppose. To what do I owe the gift of your company, my child?" Teach asked stroking Anna's cheek and braid.

"I am Princess Anna of Arendelle and I need you to take us to Misthaven on your ship." Anna replied trying not to show fear.

"Hmm, demands from a princess. And what will you offer me in return?" he asked.

"Uh, wh-what's your price? We'll pay anything." she replied.

"My weight in gold." he answered.

"Oh, well, uh, if it's not too delicate, how much…tonnage? What would you say you weigh, sir?" Anna asked getting nervous under the pirate's gaze, "Oh, never mind. It's fine. Sold! I mean, bought."

"See?" she asked her fiancé, "I told you if we just keep the faith, everything's gonna work out."

"And I told you that pirates were easier to deal with than wizards." Kristoff reminded.

"Hey, I told you that." she pointed out.

"And no one asked me at all." Hans said coming up behind them with his brothers and their weapons ready.

"He did it again." Anna sighed, "How do you keep doing that?"

"You didn't exactly leave inconspicuously." Hans chuckled, "A paid informant told us where you went and why. I'll give you credit, but I don't scare easily. Especially over some loser old friend of yours."

"This was a trap?" she asked looking hurt at Blackbeard as she and Kristoff had their hands tied, "We have a deal! Something about what, well over two-hundred pounds of gold."

"My child, it's nothing personal, it's just good business." Teach replied, "Prince Sideburns here and his brothers offered me a better deal, that's all."

"We had plenty of time to get acquainted with your riches as we rolled around in the royal treasury." Hans taunted.

"You rolled around in gold bars? Weird. And ouch." Anna remarked.

"Figure of speech. We reveled in it." Hans clarified, "The point is, it's now in my control, not yours. You're what they call penniless. But, uh, that doesn't matter, because where you're going, you don't need money."

"Where is that?" Anna asked showing no fear.

"Death."

"I'm not sure that's a place." Kristoff commented.

"Well, you're both about to find out." Hans retorted as his brothers pointed their swords at the couple's necks. Once they were far enough out into the sea, Hans resumed his triumphant speech. "This is the treacherous area known as Poseidon's Boneyard, the exact spot where your parents' ship went down. How fitting that mother and daughter will have their last regrets in the same place. Will you both die, wishing you'd never try to help your freak sister? Well, maybe your bones will mingle with your mother's on the bottom of the sea."

"Bring forward the trunk." Teach ordered his zombies.

"There's a trunk?" Hans asked, "How-how will their bones mingle if she's in a trunk?"

"You'd be surprised if you knew how many helpful sea-creatures there are beneath the waves." Teach smirked, "I'm not one to risk loose ends. This trunk will make sure they die without 'finterference.'"

"Elsa's gonna get out of that urn, and when she does, she's gonna take back the kingdom and kick you and your brothers back to the Southern Isles, which sounds lovelier than I bet it actually is." Anna threatened as the zombies stuffed her and Kristoff into the trunk.

"I doubt that." Hans smirked, "I control the royal navy, the vast armies, and if Elsa hasn't found a way to escape that urn in the last thirty years, I doubt she will."

"Wait. What? Thirty years?" she asked.

"The spell that froze Arendelle, it had us all frozen for thirty years."

"My aunt kept us like that for decades?" Anna said in shock, "Elsa. My poor sister. She was stuck in an urn all that time!"

"Why would Ingrid unfreeze us all right now?" Kristoff asked.

"Because she wants to do something worse. We have to get to Elsa and Nicholas. We have to stop whatever it is Ingrid-ahh!" Anna said before Hans slammed the lid on her.

"She's so talky." he said before ordering his brothers, "Toss them over the side."

Laughing as they did it, two of his brothers flung the trunk over the side as they were told. However, just before the trunk could touch the water, two ropes from the Revenge shot out and grappled the two side handles and hoisted it back onto the ship.

Opening the trunk, Teach looked down at the confused and frightened couple with a stern neutral expression. "What was that name you said?" he asked, "Speak quickly, child, before I change my mind in saving you."

"Uh, uh, Nicholas? Nicholas Flamel." she answered.

"And how do you know the Immortal Alchemist?" he asked.

"Wha-he's an old friend of mine. I was hoping he could help us take back Arendelle from these guys and save my sister."

"Really?" he asked in a brighter mood, "Why didn't you say so in the first place? In that case, I will gladly help; any friend of Flamel's is a friend of mine."

"What?" she asked.

"What?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah, what?" Hans asked, "Need I remind you that we had a deal? I order you to throw them back into the sea, now!"

Teach's expression began stone-cold after he heard those words. He then shut the trunk on Anna and Kristoff and hilt of his sword in anger. "Aye," he said, "That we do. But apparently, there's one thing that you have seemed to have never learned, your highness."

"And what's that?" Hans asked flatly.

"Never order a pirate captain around." Teach said before swiftly drawing his sword and decapitating the young prince in one quick, clean motion, "Especially on his own ship. Kill his brothers and feed their corpses to the sharks!" he ordered his crew.

After they did just that, Teach opened up the trunk again and help the two lovers out. "So sorry about that, I didn't want milady to witness such a gruesome sight."

"Um, thanks?" Anna said still confused.

"My pleasure. Now, regarding Flamel, I regret to inform you that he is no longer in this realm."

"Nicholas is dead?" Anna asked.

"No, no. I mean, he is literally not in this realm. Currently, he resides in a land without magic where I am told, your sister Queen Elsa is as well." Teach clarified.

"He is? They are?" she asked, "W-well, how do we get there? I mean, we don't really have to worry about Hans and his brothers anymore thanks to you, but Arendelle still needs someone to rule it."

"Worry not. I can provide transportation to this realm for you." he replied.

"You can?" Kristoff asked.

"Aye, however, there be one small catch to it. You'll have to go back in the trunk." Teach replied before pushing them into said trunk for the third time.

"Wait! Why are you doing this?!" Anna yelled from inside.

"My apologies, princess, but I cannot allow either of you to learn of the method for which I am using for you." he said before thinking, "If I did, the director would have my head."

Reaching into his pocket with one hand and stroking his sword with the other, Teach had his ropes grab the trunk like before while he pulled out a corked vial with a magic bean inside. Tearing it open with his teeth, he tossed the bean into the water thinking solely of Storybrooke which opened up a portal and tossed the trunk directly into it. Little did he know, it picked up something else along the way.

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke, Nicholas managed to get his fellow members tucked away safely and made his way to check on his inventions one last time before heading over to the station. On his way, he could see everyone looking up at the sky in fear at what was coming. When he finally arrived, he saw Snow and David locked behind the cells while Emma held her brother with tears in her eyes; also, Elsa stood next to some man he didn't know and a young redhead he assumed was Anna all grown up.

"Emma?" he called softly from the entry. Still trying not to cry, Emma handed Neal over to Elsa before walking over to talk to him.

"What are you doing here? You know what's about to happen." she choked.

"I know. But I just needed to see you before this all goes down." he said looking her in the eyes he loved so much, "Before I took care of myself for everyone's safety, I needed to see you one more time."

"Nicholas, I'm not a tearful goodbye kiss person." Emma said as she cried, "But maybe just this once."

When they finally parted, Nicholas swallowed the lump in his throat and pressed his head against hers taking in her presence before he had to do the one thing he feared most. "I love you." he whispered before leaving.

Mere moments later the spell finally made it over Storybrooke. Every one of our heroes and villains was either locked up or staring up at the mirror fragments glittering in the sky before they came down onto the little town.

Nicholas was currently as he told the others he would be, under a dome covered with his shadows with his shield covering his entire body with his eyes sealed shut. Unfortunately, the glass still managed to break through everyone's defenses and enter all of their eyes; well, all except Emma's, Elsa's, Anna's, Ingrid's, Gold's and Nicholas's.

But this did not comfort him. Not at all because he knew exactly what he had to do now. On the other side of town, once all of the glass had finally stopped raining down, six fists broke through the ground clenched in rage, ready to crush anyone in sight.

 **So...yeah, a lot of crazy stuff happened in this chapter. Uh, first off, regarding the three Homunculi, here's who play them in this story as I'm sure you guys want to know.**

 **Greed: Michael Weatherly (NCIS: Tony DiNozzo)**

 **Gluttony: Josh Gad (Frozen: Olaf)**

 **Envy: Alex Hogh Andersen (Vikings: Ivar the Boneless)**

 **As for their next appearance, well, that'll be when we get to the Promised Day; or maybe sooner, I don't know.**

 **As for the whole portion with Anna, Kristoff and Teach, I know that was kinda random, but I wanted to include Teach one last time because its going to be a long time before he makes another appearance in this story and I do mean a LONG time. But on the plus side, next chapter will let you guys finally see how LXG agents fight when they go semi-all-out.**

 **Well, as always, I hope you enjoyed this and let me know what you thought. See ya next time!**


	41. Shattered Sight

**Okay, I'm not gonna bore you guys with why this one took me so long, but I will tell you that the next one will not be done until late May. Why? Because I have too much work this month and I need to pass my classes and tests. Thankfully, I have an epic chapter right here for you hot from the oven (not really). So without further delay, here's the next exciting chapter of The Evil Queen's Brother. Hope you guys enjoy and, as always, let me know what you think.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

"Prince Charming." Snow said in false amusement, "Finally, I'm seeing you clearly."

"And what do you see?" he asked trying not to show his spell-induced anger.

"A fraud." she spat, "A shepherd who has no business being royalty.

"Well, I see a spoiled little princess who ran away from her troubles; who always runs away!" he snarled as they got in each-others' faces through the bars.

"I can't believe I had a child with you." she spat.

"Oh, who knows? Maybe you didn't. Could be Whale's!" David retorted.

"You know, if this is what marriage is like, I'm glad you keep postponing ours." Kristoff said to Anna who looked hurt at his comment.

"You don't mean that, Kristoff. It's the spell." she sighed.

"No. I'm seeing clearly now, too. I'm beginning to think that this haircut wasn't my only bad idea." he snapped.

"I know this isn't really you. I know it. But it's still upsetting so I'm just-I'm gonna go see my sister, where you can't hurt anybody, but me, with your words." Anna said as she headed over to Elsa and Emma.

"My parents," she said bouncing her brother, "That's not who they are."

"They're their worst selves." Elsa nodded, "It's like when Anna put me in that urn. She didn't mean what she said either; I hope."

"I didn't. That doesn't make any of this less horrible." Anna said as she hugged her sister.

"It's okay. You're immune. We all are. And we're together." Elsa assured.

"It's gonna be alright." Emma nodded, "Remember, I'm the Savior."

"Is that, like, a real job here?" Anna asked.

"Apparently, it is." Emma lightly chuckled, "I promised all these people I'd get them their happy endings. And I will. I'm just not sure how at this moment."

"I think I might have an idea." Anna spoke up, "Do you know how the Snow Queen got the idea for the curse? It's from a legend called 'The Trolden Glass.'"

"Never heard of it." Emma said.

"Its origin isn't important. What matters is how they broke the curse."

"What was done?" Elsa asked.

"Uh, to break the spell…oh. They had to kill the king who cast it." Anna replied looking sad, "So in this case, that would mean Ingrid."

"I don't believe killing is ever the answer." Elsa said, "Are you sure we can't reason with her?"

"She's beyond that." Emma argued, "We all want another way, but if it comes down to her or the town, I'm gonna do what has to be done. We're lucky Nicholas doesn't know about this or else he'd be charging over to her cave right now with every intent to kill her. We're out of options. Anna, how are you with kids?"

"I love kids." she answered as Emma passed Neal over to her.

"Elsa, we should get going."

"Wait, wait. I'm the babysitter?" Anna asked, "The Snow Queen's my aunt, too. If this is what has to happen, I wanna be by your side."

"I'm sorry, but someone has to stay here with everyone else." Emma apologized.

"Emma's right. Stay with Kristoff." Elsa pleaded.

"But this was my plan." Anna whined.

"I know it was." Elsa said as Emma kissed her brother before heading out the door, "You're the smartest person I know, and you're my sister, which means you need to stay safe. Ingrid is a problem that Emma and I have to solve."

"Do you trust Emma?" Anna whispered.

"I do. She's my friend." Elsa said sincerely.

"Then go." Anna nodded.

 **OUaT**

While the three ladies were dealing with only their loved ones being effected by the curse, Nicholas was having a much more difficult time. He knew that his teammates would have broken free by now so, naturally, he ran as fast as he could through the chaos that was Storybrooke. Jumping over wrecked cars, dodging rocks and glass and even arrows, all while shoving, punching, and kicking people aside to get to the others.

When he finally arrived, his worst fears came to fruition when he laid eyes on his fellow agents, each one wielding their signature weapons. Now, before we get into the actual fight, there are some things you might want to know about these Leaguers and their fighting styles.

Sawyer had three distinct weapons he used, two revolvers and a Winchester rifle. With his expertise in close combat, his revolvers were often used to back up his fists before finishing his enemies off with a bullet. Normally, his riffle was used for sniper shots, much like how he went against Nicholas over a year before. However, there were often times when he was forced to use it like a bow staff or a club when his revolvers couldn't get the job done.

Skinner didn't have a single weapon on him. He couldn't allow himself to carry any weapons unless absolutely necessary on account of his need to completely disrobe in order to escape his enemies' eyes. However, he, himself, was a honed weapon. Everyone in the League were experts in multiple styles in hand-to-hand combat, but Skinner was considered the best out of everyone in the entire organization.

Robin's skills go without saying; for the most part. True, he was a master when it came to a bow along with knives, swords, and guns, but no one used a bow like he did. In full combat, this man carried at least six different types of bows on his body. Two smaller crossbows he kept in his boots, two mini crossbows built into his cuffs on his wrists, a Gatling crossbow normally kept on his back, and his hand-crafted bow. This bow, of course, was his most dangerous weapon. Made from dragons' bone, the bow had two dragons' fangs imbedded on each end of this mighty weapon used to pierce his enemies when forced to engage in close combat.

Mina had more than enough skills as a vampire; though, unlike most vampires, she could actually withstand the sun for short periods of time and still be able to fight. In addition to that, she had the strength of one hundred men, immortality, regenerative abilities, heightened senses, being able to turn into a swarm of bats, and control over creatures of the night; not to mention, she was an expert in using her favored silver daggers in combat. Along with all of this, her calm personality and tenacity was what made her third in command of Quartermain's branch of the League.

Nemo was without a doubt the most level headed member of the team. His genius intellect and inventive nature rivaled Nicholas's, but his near super-human reflexes gained through years of training gave him the well-deserved position of second in command along with being Quartermain's most trusted ally.

Finally, the leader of this branch made all of the others look like mere weaklings. No one truly knew the extent of his power, but Allan Quartermain was no ordinary human. Nicholas could certainly vouch for that. It can't be seen unless he's shirtless, but there is one scar on his left collar-bone that hasn't left his body since he received it from his leader; and this was after he gained his Stone. Like Sawyer, he only had three weapons, a Winchester, a revolver, and a knife he could attach to his riffle to use as a bayonet. The only strange thing was that whenever he equipped the knife, he would wield the weapon as though it were a sword and occasionally fire it as he fought.

Nicholas knew all of this and how each of these people fought. His disadvantage, he would have to fight them all along with ensuring they didn't kill each other or anyone else and make sure no one saw any of them. His advantage, the spell had made them fueled by their rage which would make their attacks sloppy. Still, he was up against some of the most dangerous people he knew all by himself and couldn't kill them like he would his past opponents.

"Don't tell me you guys started the fun without me?" he teased as he covered all but his head and neck with his shield.

"You!" Sawyer shouted as he ran up to him ready to drive his guns into his head which was easily dodged.

"What the hell, Tom?!" Nicholas yelled, "What'd you do that for?!"

"You know damn well why, ya pipe smokin', yellow-bellied turd!" he shouted.

"Who're you calling a yellow-bellied turd?!" Nicholas snarled.

"You! We've been cooped up for twenty-nine years because you convinced us it would be best if we stayed locked up in that damn mansion!" Sawyer shouted as he fired at his friend.

"Whoa!" Nicholas cried as he dodged the bullets, "Hold it! That was Quartermain's idea, not mine!"

But Sawyer clearly wasn't listening. And thus, the battle between Nicholas and his spell-inflicted teammates began. Obviously, Nicholas had the odds against him, what with Skinner's invisible kicks and punches being thrown at him while Nemo swung his sword at him almost in a blur. Jumping up, the alchemist did a split kick to the two men's faces just before Mina's bats smothered his face in attempt to suck out his blood. Robin made an attempt to pierce through the Ultimate Shield with his arrows, but they managed to only strike Mina which made her revert to her human form and look at the archer with rage.

With her eyes red as blood and her fangs barred, the vampire snarled and lunged at Robin who easily fended her off with his Gatling bow, which was heavy and made of metal, and slammed it onto her skull, crushing it against the ground. Having witnessed this, Nicholas transmuted the ground and tossed Robin aside before Mina had the chance to tear out his jugular all while dodging Nemo's swings and Sawyer's bullets.

 **OUaT**

After making it safely to the ice-cream shop, Emma and Elsa waited for Ingrid to come out, fully prepared to fight. When she did, they both stared her down ready to face their foe.

"Stop." Emma barked.

"This must end, Ingrid." said Elsa.

"Our magic is a part of us now. We control it, and we control it really well." Emma warned. But Ingrid just kept smiling at them, lost in her delusional little world.

"I'm so proud of you both." she said as though she were their mother, "You've finally embraced who you truly are."

Hearing enough, the two women shot their hands out at the elder blonde but saw no magic erupt from their fingertips. "Emma." Elsa muttered.

"Again." she instructed, but the results were the same. It was then that they noticed that the ribbons Ingrid placed on their wrists began to glow.

"The love that flows through our ribbons is without equal. Its strength protects the life-force that we all now share." Ingrid explained.

"She's made it impossible for us to hurt her." Elsa summed up looking at Emma.

"We gotta get these things off." Emma said.

"There's no need." Ingrid gently argued, "Soon, you won't want to hurt me. Soon, you will love me. For real."

Before either of them could say or do anything else, Ingrid vanished into a small blizzard. With no other option, Emma led her friend over to the pawn shop in hopes of gaining Rumplestiltskin's assistance.

"Gold? Belle?" Emma called but received no answer, "They're gone."

"Then what do we do?" Elsa asked.

"We do it ourselves." Emma said as she went behind the counter and tried to cut the ribbon with one of Gold's knives. When that didn't work, she tried various other objects all of which failed.

"I give up." Emma flatly said, "It's useless. The magic protecting this ribbon is just too powerful."

"I guess the Snow Queen meant what she said about her love." Elsa said.

"I'm sorry, I was too busy thinking of ways to punch her to retain that." Emma sighed clearly miffed.

"She said the love flowing through out ribbons was without equal." Elsa reminded. This managed to give Emma an idea.

"Maybe without equal, but not without an opposite that's equally strong. If her amplified love put these ribbons on our wrists, then maybe what we need is someone's equally amplified hatred to get them off." Emma explained.

"Emma, you're a bit prickly, but you're certainly not hateable." Elsa argued/defended/partially insulted.

"Tell that to Regina." Emma chuckled before realizing what her friend said, "I'm prickly?"

"If you let Regina out while she's under the influence of the Snow Queen's curse, she'll kill you." Elsa stressed.

"She'll try. But right now, it's-"

"A theory." she cut off in worry.

"The best chance we have." Emma corrected, "If Storybrooke wants to survive, Regina needs to hate me like she's never hated me before."

 **OUaT**

"I do not get paid enough for this!" Nicholas shouted as he had his shadows surround him to fend off against Mina's army of bats while the others fought him and themselves. Using the shadows like tentacles, he had them punch Robin, Nemo and Skinner while also using them to deflects Sawyer and Quartermain's bullets and while trying to locate and grab Mina's original bat swarm to cut off her connection with the others.

Unfortunately, Mina managed to get the upper hand and willed the bats to form a giant hand which formed into a fist of bats, slamming down on the Immortal Alchemist. But just before the blood sucking creatures could reach him, Nicholas transmuted himself out of their reach and waited for Mina to reform. When she did, looking all around for him while snarling, he used his alchemy to make the ground charge at her and envelope her as it became a concrete coffin bound in chains being tossed into the woods.

Before he could even take the chance to breathe, Robin decided to switch his crossbow for his signature weapon, the very thing that attracted the League's attention before he officially joined.

"Robin," Nicholas said holding up his hands, "Man, listen to me. I don't to fight you."

"Oh, I don't either." Robin said mockingly before glaring at him in hatred, "Quite frankly, I'd rather be at the vault doing what I did to your sister the other night again; yanking her sweaty hair as I make her moan out my name like the filthy, petty, pain-loving, shameful slut of a whore that she is!"

"Okay! Now I wanna fight ya!" Nicholas cried as he charged at the bowman with his sword at the ready. Robin managed to block the strike and shoved him off allowing him to fight back. Swinging it like a madman, Robin succeeded in jamming one of the fangs into Nicholas's skull causing him to shout in pain and kick him away as his wound healed.

By this point, if anyone were to have just now walked in on the fight, they would think that Nicholas was under the influence of the spell with how angry he looked. Making another sword from the ground while knocking the others away from each other, Nicholas stared down the archer and took a dual-wielding stance. In turn, Robin did something unexpected, he twisted the bow and separated it into two and had the notch string drag down to the grips; it was as if he was wielding two razor sharp hooks instead of a bow now.

Dropping them both, he began to twirl them by the notch where the fangs grazed against the ground making sparks on contact. Robin then shot them at Nicholas who barely dodged them. Smirking as he did it, Robin yanked them back causing them to pierce Nicholas's shoulder blades and tumble right into his friend's knee strike to the abdomen. He then grabbed the hooks, turned him around and used the notch string to strangle him like piano wire.

Through his suffocation, Nicholas head-butted the archer and escaped his grip before returning the blow he just received to the abdomen and quickly spun around to deliver a side-kick to the abs and a punch to the nose sending him flying into a tree and rendering him unconscious as the tree bound him with its transmuted roots. One down, five more to go.

 **OUaT**

After leaving the shop, Emma and Elsa arrived at the vault hoping that their plan would work; if not, they would most likely be killed. "Okay, stand back." Emma advised as she threw a rock to show a spell covering the vault. "Containment spell. Okay. Here goes."

When she raised her hands, nothing happened; the sound of crickets chirping in the background added to the humor in this. "You can do it." Elsa encouraged.

The second time around, she was able to take down the barrier. "Well, I'm still getting the hang of the controlling the magic thing. But lucky for us, the next part should be easy for me."

"What's that?" Elsa asked.

"Be prickly." she replied as they barged in. When they made it downstairs, Emma jolted at the sight of Regina dressed in one of her old Evil Queen dresses. "Whoa. Little late for Halloween."

"You." Regina softly growled with an insane smile.

"How do you walk in that thing?" Emma asked bluntly.

"With the poise and composure of a queen." she sneered, "Perfect timing, Miss Swan. I was just reading up on how to turn you into a garden topiary. What's she doing here?"

"I wanted to see your face when you learned the truth." Elsa lied looking smug.

"The truth about what?" Regina asked.

"I lied to you, Regina, about Marian. I knew all along. I brought her here on purpose." Emma lied.

"Tell me something I don't know." she growled.

"What you don't know is why. Not only did I wanna break your heart, I wanted you to see me and Nicholas together, see the happiness you could never have and cheated him from for so long. After all, it was your fault what happened to him, wasn't it?" she asked as veins began to bulge on Regina's forehead, "I wanted to ruin it for you again, just like my mother did."

"I've been waiting a long time for this. Abba, forgive me." Regina snarled as her voice trembled in pure rage with a fireball in her hand. When she threw it, the girls raised their arms up and allowed the fire to burn away their ribbons. As soon as they were gone, Emma magically pushed Regina to the wall giving them the chance to run away as fast as they could.

"SWAN!" she cried loud enough to be heard above ground outside.

 **OUaT**

If it hadn't been for the Philosopher's Stone, Nicholas would have been killed a hundred time over before tonight. That being said, he'd have easily been killed ten times that amount during his fight with the others. Fortunately, Robin was still unconscious and Mina hadn't found her way out of the coffin yet so that just left, Skinner, Nemo, Sawyer and Quartermain. However, none of them were making his job any easier.

Skinner was actually able to land numerous shots on Nicholas from all sides. Through his daze, he struggled to find the pattern in his fighting style so he could pinpoint his next strike. When he finally found it, he grabbed hold of Skinner's wrist, or at least he hoped it was his wrist, and began to transmute his sleeve around the Invisible Man's body like a mummy with only his head unwrapped. Once he was tied up tight, Nicholas kicked him away and kept him pinned with the ground transmuted like a hand over his body.

Nemo then took the chance to resume his attack while Quartermain and Sawyer tried to land at least one bullet on their target(s). Nicholas was barely able to fend the former pirate with his sword even with his impeccable skills. When he managed to get a good enough distance, he turned his right eye as far as it could to the left before the jerked away and revealed a strange symbol carved into the eyeball. For some reason, this gave Nicholas the edge he needed against Nemo and was able to go from the defensive to the offensive. He even seemed to be able to see and read Nemo's movements before he could even make them.

With a swift diagonal strike, Nicholas used the blunt side of his sword to knock the wind out of his comrade and friend. As he staggered, Nemo was helpless to do anything but watch as Nicholas delivered a superman punch to his temple knocking him out cold. For added measure, Nicholas slid him over away from the others and bound his arms, legs and body with pipes from the ground.

Suddenly, a loud click could be heard from behind the alchemist, hearing this caused him to stiffen and pale. He didn't have to turn around to know what made that sound, for he had heard it before. Holding his weapon like a sword, Allan Quartermain glared at Nicholas with his knife attached to his Winchester.

Quartermain lunged at him faster than anyone else this night, Nicholas was barely able to block them with his shielded arms; even his sword was destroyed as soon as it was struck by the blade. When swiftly spun around in hopes of cleaving his head off, Quartermain missed and created a shockwave from all sides; fortunately, all it did was make a powerful gust of wind. As he did this, Sawyer took the chance to try and shoot Nicholas again.

"He's going to draw to much attention to us at this rate." Nicholas thought as he tried to block and dodge the attacks. Given that he was getting hit more and more as the night went on, he knew his strength was failing him, he had to act fast if he was going to hold them off until Emma defeated the Snow Queen. With no other option coming to mind, he knew what he had to do.

Jumping backwards, he pulled out his gun just at the right moment; when Sawyer was just behind Quartermain. He then distracted Quartermain by tricking him with some alchemic sparks off to the side. When his gaze shifted, Nicholas made his move.

"Sorry, boss." he muttered as he squeezed the trigger and watched as the bullet went straight through Allan's head. When this happened, the blood that splattered out of his head managed to get in Sawyer's eyes, blinding him for just a second. Once he opened his eyes, he saw Nicholas grab the hem of his shirt and head-butt him breaking his nose in the process.

He then pushed him away, delivered a few quick yet powerful blows to his ribs, and sent him flying into the nearest tree which was transmuted to hold him down like the others. Finally, Nicholas was able to catch his breath, or so he thought. He didn't even have time to react as the coffin he made to trap Mina was sent hurdling at him. After it hit him, and his wounds slowly healed, he looked up and saw Mina's glowing red eyes staring down at him.

He then created a stone pillar which drove into her solar-plexus only to be caught and crushed in her ferocious grip. The battle was not over yet.

"I've been waiting months to try this out." Nicholas mumbled as he pulled something out from his pocket and put it on his hand. It was a glove made from two pieces of metal on the top and palm of his hand with wires connecting to each of the metal claws on his fingertips with a leather strap holding it on his wrist.

"I've always wondered who the winner would be between two genius immortals." Mina said drawing her knives, "Though, your intellect will have to do for today."

"Haha, I forgot how to laugh." Nicholas said sarcastically as he discreetly scraped four of his claws over the metal on his palm. As it did this, sparks of static electricity surged from the metal plate, through the wires and up to the tips of his claws. With an added dose of his alchemy to amplify it, Nicholas unleashed bolts of lightning at Mina's chest and sent her flying into a nearby boulder.

"I'm a genius!" he cheered before kissing the glove which gave him a little shock, "Ow!"

 **OUaT**

After getting as far away from Regina as possible, Elsa and Emma made it to Ingrid's cave where they hoped to confront her. When she saw them look around for her, she decided to stop hiding.

"You two have no idea how long I've waited for this moment." she said before noticing the ribbons were missing, "Your ribbons; what have you done?"

"I'm not much for accessories." Emma quipped.

"Those ribbons joined us together." Ingrid said looking genuinely hurt.

"Get it through your head, lady. We're not your sisters and we're never gonna love you."

"Oh, Emma." she sighed, "I know that you actually believe that. And…it makes me sad. But I know that sadness won't last because soon, you'll see you're wrong."

"Don't do it!" Emma warned as Ingrid reached over to grab something. In her hands were two small, purple stones. "The hell are those?"

"They're memories I took from the two of you. And now it's time to give them back."

"Why? So we can remember just how badly you treated us?" Emma asked.

"The funny thing about time is we romanticize the good and forget the bad. That's exactly what's in these crystals. These are the good memories and nothing else. Lovely moments the two of you shared with me, which I'll cherish forever and now, so will you." Ingrid explained.

"I hate to break it to you, but magic can't make someone love you." Emma argued.

"You're right, Emma. Magic can't create love. But if someone loved you in the past, it can make them love you again. And I know you've forgotten, Emma, but you did love me. You both did. That's why, right now, you're not doing anything. We all know the only way to stop me is to kill me, and you're both hesitating. You don't have it in you. It's okay. Come. Be my sisters."

"I can't do it, Emma. I can't hurt her." Elsa admitted.

"Yeah, well, I can." she spat ready to blast her with magic. But just as she was about to do it, Anna ran inside and stopped her.

"Wait!" she cried, "Stop!"

"Anna, no, she's too dangerous." Elsa warned.

"You should listen to my sister and go." Ingrid threatened.

"Your sister? She's mine." Anna retorted hotly, "And whatever you're gonna do, well, don't. Elsa, I found this on the beach. It's from our mother. She must've thrown it into the ocean before their ship sank. It came over in the portal with us." she said holding up an old scroll.

"Just be careful." Emma warned.

"No, I'm not gonna be careful. She needs to hear this. You all do." Anna said before she began to read the letter aloud, "Elsa, Anna, I don't know if your father and I will ever get back to you, but I need you to know we were wrong to tell Elsa to conceal her powers."

"How fitting that you, who are so much like your mother, should share her last words." Ingrid spat ready to finish off her niece.

"I feel terrible but it happened before and I can't let it happen again." Anna continued causing her aunt to drop her guard and hand.

"What?" she asked.

"My sister Ingrid, like you, also had ice powers. I never told you about her or my other sister Helga, but I should have. They were beautiful and kind and wonderful, and I was fearful. And I let that fear guide me. I let Ingrid hide when I should have celebrated her for the person she was. I loved her so much."

"You're lying!" Ingrid shouted, "My sister hated me! She called me a monster! She put me in that urn, like you did Elsa!"

"In this crystal are the memories of my sisters, which I stole from the people of Arendelle." Anna continued, "Please return them. My sisters deserve to be known. In a cave in the north valley, you'll find an urn that contains Ingrid. Please do what I should have done long ago and release her. When you see her, please tell her I love her and I'm sorry. I'd give anything to take back what I did, to hold her hands one more time."

When she had finished reading the letter, Ingrid looked at her niece with tears brimming in her eyes. However, instead of accepting her words, she thrusted her hand out and began to choke her with her magic.

"Ingrid!" Elsa cried.

"Let her go!" Emma shouted. But Ingrid tossed them away so she could deal with the redhead.

"I understand, Aunt Ingrid." Anna said as she was being choked, "I understand now why you cast this curse. But you can come back from it."

"Understand me?" Ingrid asked enraged, "How could you? You're nothing like me! You understand nothing!"

"You're right." she croaked, "I'm not like you. My mother wasn't like you. But if she was able to love you for who you are, so can I. You're a part of our family no matter what. And family never gives up on each other."

"You lie!" Ingrid cried swatting her away. As Emma and Elsa raced over to help Anna up, Ingrid picked up the scroll and touched the memory crystal it carried. As she did, the memories of her sister's childhood flooded through her mind letting her know how Gerda truly felt about her.

"…Oh, Gerda." she whispered as tears fell from her eyes, "What have I done? I need to reverse this."

"You can't." Anna said as her aunt approached the glassless mirror, "The only way is if you-"

"I know. I have to destroy myself." Ingrid said as she began to call back the spell.

"No, Ingrid." Elsa said.

"Wait!" Emma pleaded.

"There's no other way. I am a monster. Not because of my powers, but because of what I let them turn me into. I have to undo this." she said as the shards of glass poured into the cave and began to surround her.

"No, Ingrid. You'll die." Elsa said as her voice began to break.

"I know. It's okay. Elsa, Anna, you found each other. And, Emma, you found your family, even if it wasn't with me." Ingrid said with a sad smile as she held up the two crystals, "You, you deserve your memories."

With a wave of magic flowing into their heads, the two women were finally able to remember all of the wonderful moments they spent with the woman before them; and this made the scene all the more sad and painful.

"You three are so special. Never forget that."

"There has to be another way. You deserve your happy ending, too." Emma said.

"Long ago, a prophecy told me that you would lead me to just that, Emma. And this is it. All I wanted was to have my sister's love, and now I have it. Now…I get to join them."

As the spell finally took her, Ingrid's body was reduced to snow and this snow spread from the cave throughout the entire town, curing everyone under the influence of the curse.

 **OUaT**

As Nicholas blocked Mina's knives and tried to land a blow with his shielded claws, the snow found its way over the battle zone. Just as she was about to feast on his blood, the vampire's mind became clear as the others regained consciousness. It was then that they began laughing at what they had been doing all night. Nicholas the released them and joined in on the laughter.

"Okay, let's get something straight." he said while smiling, "We are never doing that again!"

"Agreed." Mina chuckled.

"I don't know, I thought it was rather fun." Robin smirked.

"You mean before or after you called my sister a whore?" Nicholas asked punching his shoulder while laughing.

"I'm surprised that you managed to hold your own against Allan for so long." Mina praised, "Isn't that right, Mr.-"

"Oh, God." Sawyer groaned as he finally noticed Quartermain's corpse. Needless to say, the laughter quickly stopped.

"Yeah," Nicholas said sheepishly, "I may have gone a little overboard."

"Why?!" Skinner cried falling to his knees trying not to laugh, "Why?! Why?! Why?!"

"Skinner, shut up!" Nicholas spat smacking him upside the head.

"We'll deal with this later." Nemo sighed, "You and Robin might want to return to town before anyone comes over hear and notices us. We'll take Allan back to the laboratory."

"Alright." Nicholas sighed, "Come on, Robin, let's go. I'm sure my slut of a sister is anxious to see you."

"…You're not gonna let me live that down anytime soon, are you?" Robin asked dryly as they began to run back to town.

"Nope!"

When they made it to the town square, they saw everyone laughing and hugging each other as snow covered the ground. The moment Nicholas saw Emma, he ran as fast he could to her and picked her up in his arms.

"I knew you could do it." he said smiling at her before kissing her as Robin hugged Regina.

"What the hell happened to you two?" she asked looking at them, "You look terrible."

"Sigh, we had a long night." Robin groaned.

"And let's just leave it at that, okay?" Nicholas pleaded while Emma laughed and pulled him in for another kiss.

 **OUaT**

As everyone else was celebrating, Gold stood alone at the docks as he stared at the vessel he had hated the most in his many long years. But it wasn't the ship he was interested in. No, he was more interested in the man who captained the mighty vessel and most importantly, his heart. As he boarded the Jolly Roger, Gold couldn't help himself but hum the song "A Pirate's Life for Me" as he went down to the brig.

When he arrived, he found exactly what he was looking for; Hook locked behind bars glaring at him with hate.

 **See you guys next month! I look forward to your feedback!**


	42. Heroes & Villains

**Finally, I am back! Whoo, these past few weeks have been busy for me! At least the awesome musical episode made up for it all, am I right? I know you guys probably want to go ahead and read this so I won't keep you waiting any longer.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to OUaT or LXG.**

With Ingrid's sacrifice having successfully cured everyone under the effects of the curse, everyone tried to settle back into their peaceful everyday lives. While most people helped around with repairing the small damages made during the night, Emma, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff went to examine the border now that the wall was down. As they did this, Nicholas and his fellow agents, minus Robin as he was with Regina who returned Marian's heart, were behind the mansion standing before a crate made of glass with metal bindings filled with dirt inside.

"Do I really have to do this?" Nicholas whined.

"You know the rules, mate." Skinner reminded, "Whoever kills him has to bring Quartermain back."

"But it's so tedious!" he complained, "Why can't I just use the tape recording?"

"Because you broke my nose and knocked us all out last night." Sawyer flatly replied with a bandage and metal protector covering his nose, "Not to mention, I had to get my eyeballs washed after boss's blood came close to infecting them when you shot him in the head!"

"I said I was sorry, you just didn't hear me because these guys were laughing at you when the water hit your nose and you started yelling." Nicholas pointed out flatly.

"Look, just bring him back and come inside so we can talk about what we're gonna do next." Mina said before she and the others headed inside to the conference room. When he was alone, Nicholas began to recite the words that would resurrect his leader.

"Oh, alright." he sighed, "Zippdy-zab blah-blah-blah, voodoo, blah-blah-blah. Qui-da…ah, hell with it. Whatever." he groaned before pulling out an old tape recorder and pressed play.

As it played, the sound of a man reciting a voodoo ritual filled the air and did its work. With each passing word, the sky was quickly covered by black clouds with thunder rumbling. In a split second, a powerful bolt of lightning shot from the clouds and struck the glass crate, electrocuting the metal casings around it. When the tape finished, the sky cleared and the crate remained still as Nicholas carefully approached it.

"Boss?" he asked knocking on the glass, "You still dead?"

To answer the question, Quartermain pushed the lid off with incredible strength which nearly hit his subordinate. Only his arms were above the dirt before he pulled his upper body out. Patting his vest and shirt down to get the dust off, Nicholas noticed that no sign of the hole in his head remained proving that the ritual worked once again. Finally noticing him, Quartermain turned to narrow his eyes at the alchemist.

"You shot me in the head." he stated with a growl.

"Yes, I did." Nicholas said nervously as he raised a shaking finger, "But in my defense, you've shot me in the head at least a dozen times; and with those really brittle bullets that leave a bunch of shrapnel in my head, too."

"Fair enough." Quartermain nodded as he pulled out his legs and hopped out of the case and dusted himself off, "How long was I dead this time?"

"Oh, about five hours. I had to deal with Mina after I took care of you and Sawyer. Took me awhile to get away from the townsfolk, too."

"The curse?" he asked.

"Taken care of, thanks to Emma. Apparently, according to her, the Snow Queen sacrificed herself to end it after Anna gave her closure, or something." Nicholas shrugged.

"Any casualties?" Quartermain asked as he continued to pat down his clothes.

"Just you and the Snow Queen." Nicholas replied as they walked back to the manor, "Honestly, this was one of our cleanest crises. If only the Promised Day is going to be like this."

"Where would the fun in that be?" Quartermain chuckled. Once they made it to the conference room, they joined the others and took their respective seats.

"Morin', boss." Sawyer greeted as he played solitaire on the table, "How was the dirt nap?"

"You ask me that every time I die, Sawyer, and it's still as humorless as ever." Quartermain sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'd be more than willing to help you work out any remaining kinks, Mr. Q. If you'd let me." Mina flirted mischievously.

"I've got a few kinks from where Flamel hit me that could use working out." Skinner interjected lewdly earning a scoff and eye roll from the vampire lady.

"Ugh!" Nicholas shuddered, "I know he's invisible and all, but just the thought of Skinner having sex with anybody just makes me sick."

"Oi!" he exclaimed.

"Might we get on to the matter at hand, please?" Nemo asked sounding bored.

"Very well." Quartermain nodded, "Now that the Snow Queen's threat is over with, we still have two matters to deal with, excluding the upcoming Promised Day. As it stands, we still need to recover the Hat, and ensure that Agent Loxley's wife doesn't threaten to expose us; again."

"Yeah, because we all remember how bad that turned out last time." Nicholas said shaking his head, "Are we sure that she's gonna try it again? I mean, I know she's spent the majority of her time here as an ice sculpture, but even before then, she didn't give off any vibe of exposing us again."

"Hmm, maybe Emma brought her back before she made that decision?" Sawyer suggested.

"But I thought she went back to when her parents first met?" Skinner asked, "And if I recall correctly, Marian was dropping hints of our existence shortly before then."

"I couldn't tell you. Nemo, Mina and I were doing business with the Fellowship in Middle Earth around that time." Nicholas replied.

"And we weren't involved with Agent Loxley at the time either." Nemo reminded, "We only heard of what Maid Marian was doing through one of the info brokers stationed in the Enchanted Forest that was close enough to Sherwood."

"Robin was never informed of this, yes?" Mina asked.

"I don't think anyone had it in 'em to tell him." Sawyer said shaking his head, "One of the perks of him being a solo-field agent, I guess."

"You think we should tell him?" Nicholas asked with a conflicted look.

"That may end badly." Quartermain warned, "Although, he does seem to be leaning more towards your sister than Marian lately."

"I still can't believe he slept with her." he said dryly with a look of disgust, "And even if he does choose Regina over Marian, what are we gonna do about her? The director's bound to catch wind of her at some point and he'll want her killed the moment he does."

"And if that does happen, Robin's gonna put the pieces together pretty quick and this could wind up escalating even worse." Sawyer nodded.

"We could shove her over the town line." Mina suggested, "She wouldn't be able to come back, our cover wouldn't be blown and Nicholas's sister would finally be able to have a happy ending. In the long run, everybody wins with that option."

"Except Robin's little boy who'll wind up losing his mother because of us, again." Skinner countered as that thought popped into his head.

"I'm beginning to see a pattern of dead ends here." Nicholas remarked.

"Normally, I would glare at you or tell you to shut it, but you are right." Quartermain admitted surprising everyone but Nemo, "Any situation we come up with ends in someone connected to Loxley or Loxley himself getting hurt."

"Does anyone know how we should go about retrieving the Hat? Or for what purpose the dark one is using it for?" Nemo asked.

"As opposed to when we last discussed it?" Mina asked with a smirk.

"So…by all accounts, we're clueless idiots at this point." Nicholas bluntly remarked, "Heh, and to think we have the reputation of being the top branch of the League."

"I thought our reputation was being the most insane and hot-tempered branch of the League?" Sawyer joked.

"Well, that, too." Nemo nodded, "What could Rumplestiltskin possibly do with that Hat if it simply absorbs magical entities?"

"He wouldn't be interested in it this much if that was all it could do, Nemo." Mina argued, "There must be something we're missing. But what?"

"Has anyone tried contacting HQ on this?" Nicholas asked, "Or the Apprentice, for that matter?"

"I did." Sawyer informed, "Our research division told me that the Apprentice refused to give every detail regarding the Hat when he entrusted it to us. Evidently, both he and the Sorcerer didn't completely trust us at the time."

"But doesn't he live here?" Skinner asked causing the others to become silent, "I-I-I'm seriously asking a genuine question. I thought he lived over by the park in a little red house near a stream leading to the pond."

At that moment, their heads sharply turned to Nicholas with wide eyes; seeing as his sister spared him from losing his memories and gave him all the information regarding the town she had, he would've known something like this.

"Uh…" he trailed nervously, "Uh…uh…"

"You mean to tell us," Quartermain began as he grew angry, "That the bloody Apprentice has been in Storybrooke the whole time and you never told us?!"

"Hold on!" Nicholas exclaimed before they could pounce, "There is a very good chance that he only recently arrived with this newer curse!"

"Whatever! We still have no idea what it is Gold's planning to do with it!" Sawyer exclaimed, "And until we do, you can't start dropping hints to the others and have them catch on."

"Let's think through what few details we actually have." Mina suggested, "We know that it absorbs magical entities and that every known dark one has sought to possess it since its creation. Now every dark one has had their own different agenda, so why would they all want the same thing?"

"Either the Hat can do more than we know and suited each of their individual needs or they all had the same goal in mind and were desperate to get it." Nemo replied.

"And that would be…" Skinner trailed.

"The one thing they all had in common." Nicholas realized as the pieces came together, "Their one weakness; the dagger."

"What?" Quartermain asked.

"That's what it can do." Nicholas said, "The Hat is the one thing that can free the dark one from the control of the dagger, the only thing that can control and kill them. Why else would they all try to obtain it?"

"Of course." Mina said catching on, "Something like that would require vast amounts of powerful magic and the Hat's main function is absorbing magic. That's why Rumplestiltskin chose to help the Savior when her powers were out of control. He was planning to take the opportunity to absorb her magic to fuel the Hat for his plan."

"But he failed to do that." Skinner reminded, "And now that the Snow Queen is gone, there's one less source of magic to fuel the Hat with."

"Which leaves only Emma, Regina, Elsa and the fairies left in town with magic." Sawyer speculated, "And if the Apprentice was here, my money's on Gold already paid him a visit and sucked him into the damn thing."

"It's still not enough." Quartermain dismissed, "There are too many bloody holes in this. Flamel can't just tell the others that Gold sucked some hermit no one has even seen in town before into the Hat. He'd have to explain how he knew about the Apprentice, the Hat and Gold's plan, all of which ties back to us."

"They're already suspicious of me." Nicholas sighed, "Ever since I got into that car with Ishmael they've been wary of me. I won't be able to keep this up for much longer, guys. It's getting out of hand."

"We just need to keep this up until the time is right." Skinner eased, "When were you planning on telling them?"

"I don't know." he sighed, "It's still another five months before it happens and if we act too soon, then the Homunculi are gonna start causing us trouble."

"And if we wait too long, then the town won't be prepared." Quartermain grumbled as he stroked his beard, "And given that there's no place for them to evacuate, they'll be caught in the middle of the crossfires anyway."

"I had hoped that once the curse was finally broken, we would've been able to take them on in the Enchanted Forest. But it seems like luck wasn't on our side for that." Nicholas remarked bluntly, "Getting back on track, what else are we missing concerning Gold?"

"What do you mean?" Sawyer asked.

"Nicholas is right." Nemo nodded, "If Rumplestiltskin's plan were this simple, he'd already be free of the dagger by now and unleashing his darkness upon this world. He hasn't done it yet. Question is, why?"

"It's possible that he was missing something for this procedure. And that may or may not still be the case." Mina speculated.

"If he doesn't have it, then now's the perfect time what with the Snow Queen being gone and all." Skinner pointed out.

"I'm gonna head back to town." Nicholas said rising out of his seat, "We're not gonna get any answers just by sitting here asking ourselves questions. If I find out anything, I'll let you guys now immediately."

"Do not approach the dark one, Flamel." Quartermain warned, "Wait for him to slip up and then make your move."

"Got it, boss." he nodded, "Tell the Merry Men and Nemo's undercover men keep a look out for anything suspicious; we're gonna need eyes and ears everywhere."

"Where are you off to, then?" Skinner asked as Nicholas headed for the door.

"I'm gonna find Robin and catch him up to speed. He might be able to help!" Nicholas said as the fireplace elevator took him up.

Once he left the mansion, he tracked down Robin's scent and found him sitting on a bench with Regina in the park while Marian played with Roland by the pond. He sighed knowing that he would have to wait for him and Robin to be alone before he could tell him what was going on.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked the couple.

"By all means." Robin said as Nicholas sat on the metal armrest and pulled out his pipe.

"So…how're things?" Nicholas asked, "Still struggling with a complicated love life?"

"What gave it away?" Regina asked as they watched the mother and son, "They do look happy, don't they?"

"Having Marian back in his life, it means so much to Roland." Robin said looking at his son fondly.

"I understand." Regina said neutrally, "At the end of the day, our children come first."

"Regina?" Robin asked.

"She's his mother." she continued.

"I choose you." he said sincerely. At first, Regina scoffed but quickly realized he was telling the truth from the look in his eyes.

"But, but Roland." she argued, "What would this look like to him?"

"It's gonna look like a messy, complicated situation, which it is." Robin replied, "But if I went back to my life with Marian, I'd be living a lie. The best example I can set to my son is to live truthfully. To follow my heart, to you."

He then pulled out a folded piece of paper and showed it to Regina. Nicholas leaned over and was shocked by what he saw. It was a younger version of the two next to him kissing each other back in the Enchanted Forest.

"What is that?" Nicholas asked as his sister chuckled fondly at the picture.

"Oh, uh, the other day when I was looking in the library, I found this after it suddenly appeared." Robin replied.

"Regina, th-this is you back when you were still engaged to Leopold." Nicholas said as he took the picture in his hand, "When you first met Tinker Bell. But you said you didn't go into the tavern that night."

"And you're right, I didn't." she nodded, "This is some sort of alternate version to what happened then. I have no idea what to make of it."

"How strange." he muttered before Roland's shouting snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Papa!" he cried as Marian collapsed next to him, "Papa, help! Help, Papa!"

The adults rushed over to him and saw that Marian had a white streak in her hair as frost began to cover her blueish face.

"I thought she was cured!" Robin exclaimed.

"There must be some remnant of that spell still inside her." Regina guessed, "Even by now her heart should be infected."

"She looks like she'll be dead within the hour." Nicholas speculated.

"So there's no hope?" Robin asked.

"…There may be another way to save her." Regina said with reluctance, "Now that the ice wall is down, she could leave Storybrooke. She can cross the town line and enter a world without magic. Without magic, the harm to her would end."

"S-s-so let's get her to the town line!" Robin urged.

"Robin, you need to know something. It's a one-way trip. There's a curse on the town line, and once you leave, that's it." Regina informed.

"So you're saying-"

"I'm saying that we can't just send Marian into an unknown world."

"We can, and it would be easier for the rest of us if we did." Nicholas remarked in his mind.

"Someone has to go with her; you and Roland." Regina said making the hardest choice of her life, "And once you do go…you can never come back."

"Oh, Regina." Nicholas sadly thought. About an hour later, the two siblings stood outside Regina's car as they watched the family of three say their goodbyes to Will Scarlet and the rest of the Merry Men. Unfortunately, none of them or the two agents were able to contact the others and inform them because of Regina's presence the entire time. So naturally, Nicholas was gonna have be the one to tell them.

While Nicholas stood by his sister in support as she stared out at her second chance at love, Gold of all people approached them. "I hate goodbyes. Don't you?" he asked.

"If you've come here to gloat, I'm really not in the mood." Regina said as her voice shook.

"What do you want, midget?" Nicholas asked.

"Belle and I are taking a trip. I came to bid you farewell." he replied ignoring the jab at his height.

"Have you been under a rock all day?" Regina asked, "There's a curse on the town line. If you leave, you can never come back."

"Hence the goodbye." Gold nodded, "But before I go, could you pass something on to my grandson? Tell Henry I'll miss him, and his charming attempts at snooping around my shop."

"You knew." Regina said.

"Oh, I knew. Perhaps you can tell me why."

"The hell are they talking about?" Nicholas thought.

"He was looking for the impossible, my happy ending." Regina replied before giving a bitter chuckle, "The storybook has me written as a villain, and villains always lose, so he thought you might have a clue as to who the author is so I can make him change that."

"Intriguing idea." Gold replied, "But, alas, I've no clue as to his identity."

"I know. Villains don't get happy endings."

"It would appear, in your case, that that's true." he countered.

"You and Belle seem content." Regina acknowledged, "How were you able to get one?"

"Because I took it." he replied, "And, quite frankly, you should stop moping and do the same thing. I mean, if this Marian died, all would be well, would it not?"

"You don't know the half of it." Nicholas thought.

"That's no longer me." Regina denied.

"Being good doesn't mean good things will happen." Gold lectured.

"That sounds an awful lot like the old Rumplestiltskin talking." Nicholas pointed out dryly, "Thought you changed."

"More like evolved." he corrected, "Coming back from the dead and being a slave to the Wicked Witch tends to do that to you. But if you don't think villains can get happy endings, just watch me take one. There's no author of my fate, no storybook with destiny. I've been a villain a thousand time over, and yet I'm about to get everything I desire. As unbelievable as it sounds, Regina, I want the same for you."

And with that, the dark one left the siblings with his words weighing heavily on their minds.

"I think I'm gonna need a moment." Regina whispered.

"Okay." Nicholas nodded, "In that case, there are somethings I wanna say to Robin before he leaves. I'll let you know when I'm done."

When he went over to his fellow leaguer, he guided him away from Marian and had their backs to Regina so she couldn't read their lips. "Gold's trying to leave town. I think he plans on severing himself from the dagger sometime today." Nicholas whispered.

"I can stay a little longer if you need me." Robin offered, "I could meet up with Marian after we take care of him."

"No, it'll arouse suspicion. If he manages to do it and heads out into the world, I want you to keep an eye on him; he's still a sacrifice and we need him alive. Otherwise, our entire plan will be thrown out of order."

"Understood." he nodded, "Notify me when the Promised Day approaches, I'll have Lord Dragon give me a scroll that leads through the barrier."

"Until then, my friend." Nicholas nodded as they shook hands. He then looked to his sister and nodded before she came over. Getting right to the chase, Regina spoke to the archer.

"The diner I told you about is just a few miles down the road."

"Right. Uh, Regina-"

"And you have the map I gave you?" she asked, "And the money, so that should be plenty to get you started."

"Yes, but-"

"Good. Then you should go." she said wanting this to be over as quickly as possible.

"…Thank you." Robin said sincerely as Marian doubled over from the cold in her.

"She needs to cross the line now." Regina stressed.

"Okay, you guys, go. I'll be right behind you, I promise." Robin said to his family, "I just-I just need a moment, okay?

"Of course." Marian nodded before looking at Regina, "Thank you."

Holding Roland's little hand, she took one step over the line and was instantly cured of the ice on her heart. She was so happy that she picked up her son and held him close before realizing that she couldn't see her husband or the others anymore.

"Your family is waiting. Go." Regina said before Robin pulled her in for one last kiss.

"I…" he whispered as his heart broke.

"I know." she whispered back as her heart broke, too. With a deep breath, he took a step back and crossed the line leaving Storybrooke and everything in it behind; for now, at least. With tears in her eyes, Regina tore the mysterious page to pieces and left them in the road for the wind to sweep away. When they got into the car, Nicholas finally broke the silence.

"You want me to drive?" he asked.

"No." she replied.

"You…want me to give you some time alone?"

"…No." she choked as the dam finally burst. Without a moment's hesitation, Nicholas leaned over and held his dear sister in his arms as he stroked her hair and let her cry on him.

"I'm so sorry, Gina." he whispered before gently kissing the top of her head.

As the day went on, Regina managed to calm down and decided to take some time alone which gave Nicholas the chance to check on what was happening in town. Naturally, his first stop was Granny's which proved to be successful. When he spotted Emma, she was consoling a crying and distraught little mermaid.

"Ariel, everything will be fine, we'll find him." Emma soothed as she cried.

"What's going on?" Nicholas asked.

"Hook's gone missing ever since this morning. No one's seen him since last night before the spell hit." she replied.

"Oh, Ariel, I'm so sorry." he said feeling sorry, "When did you see him last?"

"Right before I tied myself to the Jolly Roger's anchor." she sniffled, "I was the one who locked him in the brig so he couldn't hurt anyone. After the spell wore off, I asked a nearby shark to cut me loose so I could let him out but when I got there, he was gone!"

"Leroy and the others are out looking for him." Emma added as she rubbed her friend's back, "You think you could help out and pick up his scent?"

"Sure thing, but there's something I need to tell you first." he informed, "I think I found a portal that leads back to Arendelle at that mansion you went to the other night."

"You did? How?" she asked.

"Well, that place seemed like it was filled with magic and I felt my Stone act up around where I found it. I'm pretty sure it will lead to Arendelle considering it has designs similar to the kingdom's colors symbol."

This was both a lie and the truth. The mansion had a feature that allowed the agents to summon portals that lead to specific places in the other realms when necessary for missions. Thankfully, Nicholas was able to use this to his advantage so he could help his old friends. Emma bought this and managed to convince Ariel to stay behind so she could make sure that Elsa, Anna and Kristoff got home safely. Unfortunately, everyone except Regina and Ariel joined them in saying goodbye at the mansion.

"If the director knew what I was doing." Nicholas thought in dread at the possible consequences.

"This place is amazing." Henry said in awe at his uncle's secret base, "Mom, I'll, uh, be right back."

"Hey, Henry, wait!" Nicholas called not wanting his nephew to find anything he shouldn't.

"Well, Emma, I think this is it." Snow said as they all approached the portal door.

"Crocuses!" Anna gasped happily, "Arendelle crocuses! Elsa, we're almost home."

"Wait," Emma warned as the ginger was about to open the door, "Maybe I should open it. Magic can be unpredictable."

"So this is it." Elsa sighed.

"It would appear so." Nicholas nodded.

"Thank you, both of you, for taking such good care of my sister." Anna said to the couple, "You've done so much for us, Nicholas, I don't think we could ever repay you."

"Somebody's gotta keep you two in check." he joked, "It was my pleasure, and wonderful to see you two again after all this time. Now, don't you all have a kingdom to go save?"

"Nope." Anna chirped.

"You don't?" he asked, "Even with Elsa gone?"

"Well, at first we did, but that was taken care of thanks to a certain friend of yours." she clarified.

"What friend?" he asked.

"Captain Te-" Anna was about to say before Nicholas realized who she meant and immediately cut her off.

"Oh, right! Captain Teanums!" he exclaimed with a lie, "How is that old sea-dog? You know what? Forget it. You three are probably anxious to get back home, let's not keep you waiting any longer."

"But I-" Anna said before Kristoff interrupted.

"And maybe finally get married?" he asked her, "Just a thought."

"Emma, thank you for everything." Elsa said taking her friend's hands, "You've done so much. I could never repay you."

With one last hug, the young queen took a deep breath and said, "It's time. Please, thank Hook and Mr. Gold for us, as well. And Nicholas?" she said feeling brave.

"Yeah?" he asked before being shocked along with everyone else as Elsa kissed him.

"Thanks for everything." she said with a smile before hurrying through the door.

"Uh," he trailed as his girlfriend and friends looked at him with surprised smirks, "Would now be an appropriate time for me to tell you guys that me and Elsa used to be a thing when we were kids?"

"Only if I get to say I had a crush on you back then, too." Anna joked with the truth after Kristoff went through the door causing Nichols to blush as the others laughed, "You know, I wish I had met this Mr. Gold. He seems super helpful. Who is he? I mean, who is he in the other world? Wait, let me guess. He was a fairy godfather, wasn't he?"

"Well, not exactly." David chuckled, "He was an evil sorcerer you're lucky you never met. Rumplestiltskin."

"Wait, what?" Anna asked looking concerned.

"You know him?" Emma asked.

"He explicitly said he didn't know anything about you." Nicholas pointed out.

"Well, that's a lie." she scoffed, "Not that I'm surprised. All he does is lie."

"So Gold was playing us the whole time. But why?" Emma asked after Anna went through the door.

"Yeah, what could he possibly gain from lying to all of us and pretending that he was under Belle's control?" Snow asked.

"Let's hope wherever he is, Hook isn't around." David joked, "God knows he'd kill him the first chance he'd get."

"Oh, shit." Nicholas thought as the gears turned in his head. Just then, he received a text from Sawyer.

" _Clock tower, now!_ " it said.

"Oh, shit!" he shouted as he ran out the door and transmuted himself into town with the others following him via car. As soon as he made it there, a blast of magic erupted from the tower which knocked him back just as the others pulled up to him. As this happened, Belle came out from the shop, saw them and came over to them.

"Nicholas, what's going on?" Belle asked as Emma helped him up.

"Gold's gonna kill Hook in order to free himself from the dagger!" he cried as he kicked the doors in and ran into the elevator with her and Emma following him. Once they made it up, they saw Gold enveloped in magic with Hook's heart in his hand while what seemed to be stars hovered around them.

"Gold!" he shouted, "Stop!"

"I'm sorry, I can't." he smiled evilly, "I've waited too long for this. And I'm too close."

Nicholas made an attempt to pierce him with his spears, but with a wave of his hand, Gold froze him and Emma in place just before the tips could reach him. "Well, maybe not everything has gone to plan. But this part, I'm really gonna enjoy." he said to Hook before squeezing the heart making him cry out in pain. But the dark one quickly realized that he was unable to reduce it to dust like he so wanted.

"I don't understand." he said in anger, "Why can't I-"

"Because I commanded you not to." Belle said revealing that she was now in possession of the dagger, "Drop the heart."

Rumple did so and Hook caught it. "Now release everyone." she ordered. After he did, the stars reverted back to form the Hat box.

"And now, now you can take us to the town line because we need to be alone for what comes next." Belle ordered before her husband poofed them away in a cloud of red smoke.

As soon as they were gone, Emma and Nicholas ran up to the balcony where Emma helped Hook up and Nicholas grabbed the box before something else happened to it.

"Cutting it a bit close, eh, love?" Hook joked as she gently took his heart and prepared to put it back, "Just be gent-oh!" he exclaimed as she shoved it in.

"Sorry. I just thought if I did it quickly, it'd be like ripping off a Band-Aid." she apologized.

"Thanks." he groaned.

"And with that, the director no longer has a reason to want to kill us." Nicholas thought as he put the box away in his trench coat, "We may be down a member, but things are looking our way now."

Later that evening, the young couple reunited the pirate with his mermaid who was overjoyed to have him back in her arms; if Nicholas hadn't stepped in, things would have gotten a little too frisky before they left. Back at Granny's they found Regina sitting in her spot mopping over Robin.

"I'm not in the mood for a hope speech, guys." she said as they sat next to her.

"You're mistaking me for my mother. Besides, you don't need a speech. You need a couple of drinking buddies. Shots?" Emma asked.

"Sure. Why not?" Regina replied.

"Tequila for the ladies, beer for me." Nicholas said to the waitress.

"You know you did the right thing today." Emma praised.

"There it is, a hope speech." Regina complained, "I thought we were drinking."

"It's not a speech. It's a compliment." Emma retorted.

"Well, I don't need your validation. I know I did the right thing. I know because I'm miserable; again." Regina said dryly.

"Touchy." Nicholas muttered as they got their drinks, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, so is Gold; whatever Belle did to him."

"You know what? It actually does." she nodded as they clinked their drinks. But before they could even take a sip, Henry came bolting through the door at them.

"Whoa, whoa, kid, slow down." Emma said.

"Guys! Guys! I found something big!" he said in excitement, "You're gonna want to see this."

After they all went outside, Nicholas came back in and grabbed his beer. "Wait for me, guys!" he called out as he tried not to spill his drink. It was a good think he brought it too, because Henry led them right back to the mansion.

"After you guys left, I stayed behind to look around, and I found something." Henry said as he led them downstairs and pulled down a sconce on the wall. It then revealed that the wall was a revolving secret door that led to the one place Nicholas hoped they would never find; the briefing room!

"A library!" Regina concluded only looking at the surrounding books.

"Not just any library. Look." Henry said as he grabbed one of the books which looked identical to his.

"I am so screwed!" Nicholas thought.

"That looks like your book." Emma observed.

"Only it's blank." Henry said, "They all are."

"No, they're just our record books written in ink that only LXG agents can read." Nicholas thought as he tried not to show that he was panicking.

"If this place is full of potential storybooks…" Henry trailed.

"Then maybe this is the author's house." Regina finished looking at her son with a smile before pulling him in for a hug, "Henry, you did it!"

"Did what? What's going on?" Emma asked.

"I'm gonna be killed or worse, lose my job, that's what's going on!" Nicholas screamed in his mind.

"Well, uh, we were looking for the author. I was hoping he could write me a happier story." Regina replied.

"We called it Operation Mongoose." Henry grinned.

"I like it. It's got style." Emma smirked, "I'm in."

"You are?" Regina and Nicholas asked.

"I made you a promise I intend to keep. Everyone deserves their happy ending. Right, Nicholas?"

"Yep." he said struggling not to cry out in frustration, "Count me in, too. I'd like to help."

"I AM DOOMED!" he thought. Later, in the middle of the night, Nicholas called his fellow agents to return to the mansion for an important meeting.

"Could someone please tell me that they knew about the other, more accessible secret entrance we have that leads to this room?!" he exclaimed in frustration as he paced around the table where the others sat.

"Not me, I always thought the elevator in the fire place was the only way down here." Sawyer replied.

"Today could not have been worse for us!" Nicholas shouted, "First we lose Robin because of Marion, then we lose Rumplestiltskin because of Belle, and now Emma, Henry, Regina and the Charmings know how to get down here and are gonna spend every chance they can get to find out where this author guy is!"

"We have not had the best of luck lately, have we?" Mina asked calmly.

"The director is gonna skin us alive when he finds out about this!" Nicholas cried.

"Flamel, calm down." Quartermain sighed.

"Don't tell me to calm down, boss!" he snapped surprising them, "We're now down an agent, a sacrifice, and to top it all off on the shit pile that is today, our base has been completely compromised! Not to mention, I had to give the Hat back because Gold not only trapped the Apprentice in it, but literally every damn fairy in town! And the Promised Day is now four months away! In what possible way can any of us be calm?!"

"He does have many points, Allan." Nemo agreed, "Perhaps we should go public now?"

"No, it's still too early." Quartermain denied, "We'll get through this. We've faced much worse. Thankfully, everything we had that traced back to the League was removed and brought to the laboratories and they cannot read the record books. I'll contact Loxley and tell him to keep an eye out for Gold."

"What makes you think their paths will cross?" Skinner asked.

"Because according to Flamel, his sister gave Loxley the keys and address to Baelfire's apartment in New York. What other possible place could the dark one go?"

"Hmm, good point." he nodded.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's gonna be fine." Nicholas said sarcastically, "It's not like I'm the one who has to make sure that we aren't discovered on a 24/7 basis and keep track of everything for the upcoming hell on earth. Oh, that's right, I am!"

"If all you're gonna do tonight is complain and shout, I'm going back to the laboratory. Some of us actually need sleep." Quartermain sighed as he got up and left.

"Yeah, I'm calling it a night, too." Sawyer yawned, "Goodnight, y'all."

"Cheers." Skinner said as he, Mina and Nemo left as well.

"Fine! Go get some sleep. Leave me here to figure out what to do next all on my own. Oh, I can't catch a break!" Nicholas shouted in frustration.

 **Okay, we've finally made it past the first half of season 4. Can't wait to finish it up and move on to season 5 (lots of surprises in store for that one~!) Anyway, I'll try to get these done as fast as possible this summer, but I do plan on getting a job so updates will still be a bit slow; just not as slow as last time. Thank you all for your patience and please, feel free to let me know what you thought and what I could do to make this story better for you.**

 **Have an awesome summer! Bye for now!**


	43. Darkness on the Edge of Town

**Alright folks, important message time! Now I bet a lot of you have been wondering what exactly my plans are for this story now that Jennifer and over half of the main cast is now gone and the show is going to focus on Henry and his daughter, right? Well, and I know its early considering where I am at this point but I just wanna go ahead and tell you guys.**

 **First and foremost, I will be doing the musical episode with all of the songs and maybe one or two new ones added into it for Nicholas and the League (maybe); awesome songs, right?! As for what happens after the wedding, that will be when I am no longer following the cannon plot line. I'm sorry for those of you who may want to see a future Nicholas interact with an adult Henry but there is no possible way for me to make it work. Besides, that will be the perfect time for me to include those OC sagas I've been mentioning. After those are done, so will this story.**

 **Like I said, I know i'm tell you all this pretty early since we're still in S4, but I wanted to go ahead and let you guys know in advance before I forget and get held up with my new job and eventually school again.**

 **That's all I can think of regarding where we'll go with this story, that I can tell you at least, so on with the main story! As always, I hope you all enjoy and please, tell me what you think be it positive or negative; I'm a big boy, I can take it.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

Six weeks following Gold's banishment, everything seemed peaceful and quiet in the little town of Storybrooke. Snow decided that she wasn't cut out for the mayor's chair and gave it back to Regina so she could resume teaching at the school. Belle decided to keep the shop open and ran it whenever she wasn't also working at the library; and when she wasn't doing either of those, she was working with Hook and Ariel (who were officially engaged not long after Belle dealt with her husband) to figure out a way to free the fairies out of the Hat. Henry finally focused on school and never made any attempt to skip on any of his classes like he used to. David and Emma continued to work as co-sheriffs and used it as a good excuse for father-daughter bonding. As for Nicholas, the only thing he had done when wasn't spending time with Emma was check on his inventions around town and made sure that no one stumbled upon anything they shouldn't when they went to the mansion to search for the Author. Everything seemed to be going in everyone's favor.

One day, Belle received word from an Oxford professor she contacted with a possible way to free everyone inside the Hat. As soon as she learned this, she immediately reported back to Regina so that the mayor could perform the ritual. Out in the woods, everyone gathered around the box in order to witness the spectacle as Regina used Rumple's dagger to open it.

At first, nothing happened. But a few seconds later, the box erupted a bright golden light and released all of Storybrooke's nuns from inside, each one in shock after what happened to them. Emma rushed over to Blue to see if she was alright.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"No." Blue panted, "But I'll live. Thank you."

"Actually, it's my sister you should be thanking." Nicholas corrected as he helped one of the nuns to her feet.

"Welcome back." Regina said with a kind smile.

"Thank you." Blue said reluctantly before going over to join in her sisters' tearful group hug. But while no one was looking, a small black cloud poured out of the box and escaped while taking on the form of a black, demon-like monster with glowing red eyes. Afterwards, the heroes decided to celebrate the return of the fairies by throwing a party at Granny's. Everyone, except Nicholas seemed to be enjoying the festivities and Emma noticed.

"Hey." she said as she sat next to him in the booth, "You know, the whole point of all this is to celebrate, right?"

"Yeah, I know." he muttered while bouncing his leg and staring at the seat in front of him.

"So what's wrong?" Emma chuckled.

"I don't what it is, but I've got this feeling like something bad is about to happen today. Really bad." he replied.

"Nicky," she laughed while sighing, "You're being paranoid."

"No, I just know when my gut tells me I should have my guard up and its yelling at me to do so." he argued, "Trust me, never ignore your gut. I learned that the hard way."

"What happened when you didn't?" Emma asked.

"I lost poker game and lost all the money a friend of mine loaned me. He smacked me upside the head so hard I thought I had drain bamage." Nicholas replied with a joke causing them both to laugh. In the booth in front of them, the couple noticed Regina and Henry approach Mother Superior with one of the (record) books Henry found in the mansion.

"Where did you get this?" Blue asked in shock as she examined the book.

"The Sorcerer's mansion." Emma replied as she and Nicholas joined them, "Henry found dozens of these blank books there."

Nicholas quickly realized that Blue was able to read the book like he was and made sure to send her a discreet glare which clearly told her not to say anything regarding the League. So instead of correcting them, Blue lied and asked, "The Sorcerer is here?"

"Well, his house is, but we haven't found him yet." Henry replied.

"You're looking for him?" she asked now more intrigued.

"Well, _I_ was hoping he could write me a happy ending." Regina sheepishly admitted, "But that book seems to have great power."

"Oh, it does." Blue nodded while staring at the book.

"So I thought if he rewrote it," Regina chuckled awkwardly, "I know it sounds crazy."

"It's not crazy at all." Blue scoffed, "But you're looking for the wrong person. Although the Sorcerer is a very powerful wizard, you should be looking for the Author."

"Aren't they the same person?" Emma asked.

"Why would the Sorcerer have the Author's books?" Regina asked while Nicholas gave Blue another threatening look.

"That is a quite perplexing question. And I'm afraid I don't know." she said trying to control her fear towards Nicholas, "But I do know that they are two very different people."

"So you know who the Author is?" Nicholas asked.

"No." Blue replied, "But I do know he exists. I mean, if he is a 'he.' I've never actually seen him. No one has. Not for many years."

"So this is where hope has gotten me?" Regina scoffed looking at Emma and Nicholas.

"We'll find him, Regina. It's not like he just vanished." Emma assured, "Blue, do you have any idea why he might've disappeared?"

"Sadly, no. But there are whispers that he left hidden clues in some of his works."

"You mean, works like Henry's book?" Nicholas asked just before a loud roar filled the air as the ground shook.

"What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"I suppose we should go out and see what's killing property values this time." Regina suggested.

"You know," Nicholas said as they exited the diner, "Sometimes I hate being right about crap like this."

When they made it outside, they looked at the clock tower in fear as they saw a giant black demon with red eyes perched on top of the building. It was muscular, had giant wings as black as night, and looked at everything in sight as though it were its future prey. It then rose into the air and swooped down to try and attack the party with its claws. When it missed, they all took cover behind a building.

"Did that thing come out of the Hat?!" Regina asked Belle, "I thought the spell was only supposed to release the fairies."

"Well, maybe it is some kind of fairy." Snow suggested.

"In what kind of sick and twisted world would that thing be considered a fairy?!" Nicholas exclaimed.

"Why don't we just put it back in the Hat and figure out the rest later?" Emma asked.

"Because we can't." Belle replied, "Once something's freed, it can never be re-trapped."

"Well, isn't that inconvenient?" Nicholas dryly remarked, "So our best defense against magical beasts follows the same rules as chicken pox?"

"Surely the Savior, Evil Queen and Immortal Alchemist can defeat a simple hell beast." Hook argued.

"Can we drop the E word already?" Regina dryly pleaded as the three of them went to the street. As the demon circled back, Emma and Regina raised their hands to cast their magic while Nicholas prepared his lightning alchemy claws. When it dived at them, they unleashed their attacks which drove the beast away.

"Well, that was easy." Emma remarked.

"Don't get excited. We only stunned it." Regina retorted before turning to her brother, "And when the hell did you make those?!"

"Back when I was in New York." he casually replied, "I got the idea from when Tamara electrocuted me before we dealt with Pan. Pretty badass, huh? That thing's strong, though. We should've been able to destroy it with that attack."

"I was just getting used to things being relaxing around here." Emma sighed, "Belle-"

"I'll see if I can find anything about this thing in the library." she finished.

"Thanks. And, Mary Margaret-"

"I'll get everyone to safety. I'm on it." she replied.

"Wow. You guys really have this down." Emma pointed out.

"Well, this isn't our first monster bash." Hook smirked before going with Belle and Ariel to the library.

"Well, no that that's settled, what say you and I figure out a way to clip this bat's wings before it comes back?" Regina suggested. Back in her office, the mayor was working on a plan with her sibling and his girlfriend when an unexpected caller buzzed her phone.

"Regina, who is it?" Nicholas asked when he noticed his sister's shocked expression.

"The sea bitch." she growled as she put Ursula on speaker.

"I've missed you, too. How are you and your brother doing?" Ursula taunted.

"I think we're mostly wondering how a plate of uncooked calamari ended up with the dark one's cell phone." Regina replied.

"What?" Nicholas asked.

"I stole it from him." Ursula replied.

"And where is he now?" Nicholas asked.

"If we're lucky, passed out at the dive bar where Cruella and I left him." she informed.

"Cruella?" Regina asked in surprise.

"Yes, we're back together. Rumple found us in New York, said he needed some old friends. Told us a tearful tale about how he was living in a quaint town until he ruined everything. But he said it was a special place where villains could find redemption. Regina, Rumplestiltskin told us how you've changed, and we've changed, too. We've learned our lessons, and we'd like chance to prove it to you and that _handsome_ brother of yours."

Hearing this made Nicholas shudder in absolute disgust while Emma glared at the phone on the table.

"Please. Let us in." Ursula kindly pleaded.

"Sorry, dears, but we have enough problems without inviting two-" Regina began to say before the demon's roar cut her off.

"Is one of those problems a hell-bat with beady eyes and devil horns?" Ursula asked and it was clear she was smirking on the other line.

"I take it that you've had experience with the damn thing?" Nicholas asked.

"Indeed. In fact, that's the exact same sound it made before it tried to kill me. And I can tell you exactly what it wants." Ursula said before Emma covered the speaker.

"They've been living in a land without magic. How could they do it?" Emma asked before answering her own question, "It's the Hat."

"Dammit." Nicholas spat, "Fine. Tell us what it wants, you Starbucks logo reject."

"Feisty as ever I see, Nicholas." Ursula teased, "And your sister will let us in if we tell you?"

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't." Regina replied.

"Well, then I guess you're on your own."

"Wait." Emma interjected, "The Snow Queen's scroll let her into Storybrooke once. Maybe it'll work for them."

With no other choice, Regina relented and spoke to the sea witch again. "Alright, squid. If your information pans out, we'll consider letting you in. Those are my terms."

"…You've got a deal." Ursula replied, "The beast that's terrorizing your town in called the Chernabog, a demon that has a specific appetite for those whose hearts have the greatest potential of darkness. Something you might want to be warry of, Regina."

And with that, Ursula hung up and left the trio to deal with the problem at hand. "Regina, I'm not sure it's after you." Emma said while the mayor was pacing around in panic.

"Of course it's after me." she scoffed, "Ursula said it devours the heart with the darkest potential and now that Gold's gone, well, who else could that be? I mean, is there a dwarf named evil-y? It's me!"

"We're not gonna just sacrifice you." Emma argued.

"That may come later, though." Nicholas bluntly thought

"I'm not sure we have much of a choice." Regina argued as an idea popped into Emma's head.

"That thing's magical, right?" she asked.

"I would say magical is a pretty good guess." Regina snootily remarked.

"So if it's magic, what happens if it leaves town for a world with no magic?" Emma asked.

"No magic, no beast." Regina concluded.

"So all we have to do is lead it over the town line. Hun, you're a genius!" Nicholas said happily before kissing her cheek making her smile and blush.

"The Chernabog withstood all three of our attacks combined. Even if I poof myself to the town line, the second I'm out in the open, it'll crush me like a bug."

"Leave getting the thing over there to me, I've got a plan." Nicholas smirked wickedly. Once he made it outside, he saw the beast circle the buildings until it locked eye contact with him. "It's been a long time since I got to do this." he whispered with an insane grin.

Red lightning began to spark around him as his body began to change. It started with his right eye turning black with the exception of his iris turning purple while his left eye seemed have eight more irises in the center that were blood red. He then cried out in pain as his muscles bulged and two more arms erupted from his sides as he grew as large as a giant and his skin turned green. With a long tail and a canine-like face topped with long black hair, his transformation was almost complete. It was finished when hundreds of human heads and arms sprouted along his torso screaming and crying out to whoever could hear them over the sound of Nicholas' thunderous roar. With all six legs to carry him, Nicholas charged at the Chernabog and began Storybrooke's first ever giant monster fight.

It was pretty one-sided. Even in the form of a gigantic green monster, Nicholas proved his fighting skills were no laughing matter as he chased the beast into the woods. As they ran through the trees, Nicholas grabbed hold of it and began to thrash it against the ground like a rag doll before throwing it away into the air. While this happened, Emma drove Regina to the town line as fast as her bug could take her.

"What made you choose yellow?" Regina asked over the roaring.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Your bug. Yellow? Bold choice." she remarked.

"I like yellow. I-I stole it. Is this really the time to question my taste?" Emma asked.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to not think about being some demon's lunch."

"You're not going to be." Emma reassured.

"I'm glad you're confident." Regina spat as the Chernabog landed on top of the car while Nicholas chased it, "What, is this thing made out of tin?"

"Hang on. We're almost there." Emma said as the monster punched a hole in front window.

"It's too late. I'm not gonna let both of us die in this metal coffin on wheels." Regina said as the car swerved, "Thanks for trying, Miss Swan."

"What?!" Emma asked as Regina poofed herself away to the line. Only problem was that the Chernabog was still trying to get inside the car.

"No!" Nicholas cried in his mind as he quickened his pace. Once he was close enough, he grabbed the monster again and chucked it over the town line where Cruella and Ursula were waiting oblivious to what was going on just a few feet behind them. Once it crossed the line, it vanished out of existence in a cloud of ash. As it did, David and Snow pulled up in the patrol car next to Nicholas. As soon as they got out, David aimed his gun at him ready to shoot.

"Dad, wait!" Emma cried as she got out of her busted car, "Don't shoot him!"

"I save the town from certain doom at the hands of a hell-beast and I'm thanked with a gun pointed at me head?" he asked in his monstrous voice while rolling his eyes, "Typical."

"Nicholas?" Snow asked as he step-uncle reverted back to his human form.

"Would you expect anyone else?" he asked with a smirk, "I have to say, that was freaking awesome. I haven't taken on that form in decades. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Emma nodded as she tightly hugged him, "Thanks for saving me."

"It's what I do." he smiled with love before kissing her forehead.

"So Cruella and Ursula were telling the truth." Snow said not taking her eyes off the backs of the villains.

"It would appear so." Regina nodded as Emma was about to hand her the scroll.

"No, wait." Snow immediately interjected, "Emma, I…I think this is a bad idea. Look, they may have told the truth this time. But that doesn't mean they can be trusted."

"Mom, this doesn't sound like you." Emma said in surprise, "You always believe the best in everyone."

"Except me." Nicholas dryly thought, "But she is a bit out of character for some reason."

"I'm also a realist." Snow countered.

"Emma, she's right." David agreed almost too eagerly, "Things were just about to get back to normal in Storybrooke."

"You, too?" Emma asked.

"Okay, red flag alert." Nicholas thought, "The hope police is saying that we shouldn't give certain people a chance. These two are hiding something."

"Look, we don't know anything about these two." Snow argued, "They could be looking for redemption, but they could also be as evil as Mr. Gold or Zelena or worse."

"They could be, but they just helped us, and we made a deal." Emma informed.

"Doesn't matter. It's a bad idea. They're villains." Snow shot down.

"You're right. They are. They're horrible, but not as horrible as I once was. And if I deserve a second chance, so do they." Regina reminded, "How can I sit here, looking for my happiness, and deny two others a chance at theirs?"

"This isn't some exclusive country club that only allows the sophisticated and prestigious to enter, guys. It's a town built for second chances." Nicholas pointed out, "And as much as those two creep me out because they used to flirt with me every time they came across us back when Regina was the 'you know what,' they deserve as much of a second chance as the next guy."

"I'm with Regina and Nicholas. We let them in." Emma said to her parents as she gave her friend the scroll. Against her better judgement, Regina tossed the parchment over the orange line and watched as Cruella and Ursula picked it up before entering Cruella's signature car. Once they unrolled it, they instantly spotted the group and went over the line with ease.

"Welcome to Storybrooke." Regina greeted.

"Thank you, Regina." Cruella said sweetly while winking at Nicholas, "You won't regret it."

"I better not." she nodded as the villains drove into their new home. Later on when night fell, the duo returned to the town line with the scroll and tossed it over the side to someone unexpected, Rumplestiltskin.

When he rolled it open, he saw his two allies on the other side with triumphant smirks on their faces.

"We're back, darling." Cruella greeted.

"You didn't think we abandoned you, did you, dark one?" Ursula asked.

"Of course not. We're a team." Rumple nodded as he hobbled over the town line. As soon as he crossed it, he traded his ratty old clothes and cane for an expensive suit and a fully functional leg.

"Nice duds. Now what do we do?" Cruella asked.

"Now we begin our task." Gold replied while tossing the can away. Once in town, the imp informed his co-conspirators of the next phase in their plan. "It's simple, really. Continue to repent your wicked ways. Make friends. Build relationships."

"And just what will you be doing?" Cruella asked.

"I'll continue my work behind the scenes, of course." he replied.

"Sounds like we're doing everything, again." Ursula dryly pointed out.

"How do you think we got in here?" Gold asked having enough with their whining, "And how do you think that Chernabog was released? It was me. I'm the Oxford professor who translated the spell for Belle, the spell that released the fairies and also happened to release that monstrosity. So I ask you to consider what I was able to do on the outside, at my lowest point, without magic. And then consider what I'm able to do in here. So maybe we should stop bickering and get on with it. See our team is one member short. And it's time to reunite the band.

"Y-you don't mean-" Cruella stuttered.

"Maleficent." Ursula finished.

"But she's dead." Cruella reminded.

"Not entirely." Gold smirked.

"Well, just what does that mean?" she asked.

"It means we have our work cut out, much to prepare." he replied.

"I don't like it. Dead or alive, we've got a bigger problem; Regina and her brother." Ursula reminded.

"What makes you say that?" Gold asked.

"That beast was unable to defeat either of them. As bad as Maleficent is, Regina's dark heart and Nicholas's Philosopher's Stone are far worse; trust me, I've seen what he can do." she warned mysteriously.

"You are so filled with assumptions." Gold sighed, "Regina and Flamel are not the one's we need to worry about."

"What?"

"That beast did seek out the heart with the greatest potential for darkness, yes, but it wasn't going after Regina. It was after Emma Swan."

While they were discussing this, Sawyer was hidden in the shadows on the nearest rooftop listening to every single word. Later that night, he called everyone to return to the mansion in order to share what he had learned.

"And you're sure Gold said that thing was after Emma?" Nicholas asked.

"100%." Sawyer nodded, "You know how good I am a recon. He said Emma Swan's name clear as day."

"This doesn't bode well for us." Skinner sighed.

"On the contrary, Skinner, we couldn't ask for a better situation." Mina corrected, "The dark one has returned and the Apprentice is now free so now we have a total of three sacrifices in Storybrooke with another well on the way."

"True, but we also have to deal with Ursula working with him now and she knows about us." Skinner reminded, "That sea witch may have just filled in Marian's shoes for her. Uh, no offense, Nemo."

"None taken." he shrugged, "As much as I love her, my wife hasn't always made the best decisions in life. But I don't believe she will tell Gold about us. She may not be the League's biggest fan, but she knows the danger that could put us, specifically me, in."

"Still find it hard to believe you married Ursula of all people, old friend." Nicholas sighed, "But Mina is right, this actually is in our favor. But Ursula is familiar with the way we operate. And if we interfere with what's she doing, it may cost us."

"They're after the Author in search of happy endings from what I understand. Figured you'd be hers', Nemo." Sawyer commented.

"Sigh, I thought that, as well. I promised her the sea and all its treasures, but there was only one thing that she wanted besides my love; and I could never give it to her." he sighed sadly, "Please, my friends, I beg of you, when the time comes, let me handle her."

"Did you think we'd send Skinner to do it?" Quartermain asked with a smirk, "She's your wife. Handle her however you want."

"That sounded kind of weird, boss." Nicholas joked.

"Shut up, Flamel." he snapped.

"Shutting up. Aside from dealing with Ursula, I want to know what exactly it is Gold plans to do with Emma." he said.

"I can keep an eye on him for you, mate." Skinner offered, "It may also help us find out how's going to find the Author, as well."

"Thanks, man. I appreciate that." Nicholas nodded to his friend.

"As for the rest of you, lay low." Quartermain ordered, "We're dealing with the dark one and the queens of darkness. We cannot afford any more slip ups. Understood?"

They all nodded in response. "Good. Dismissed."


	44. Poor Unfortunate Soul

**Okay, managed to get this one done faster than I thought. This will certainly be a longer one and will have an interesting back-story for a certain League member; I bet a lot of you were surprised that I put those two together, huh? One last thing before we get to the story, I always wondered if I was the only who noticed this.**

 **Does anyone else see a resemblance between Ursula when she was in the Enchanted Forest to the Starbucks logo? If you really look at them both, you can see a huge resemblance. Seriously, I always wondered if anyone noticed this.**

 **Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think, a lot in this one is of my own making and not from the show so I would really appreciate some feedback.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT or LXG.**

The next day, the townsfolk seemed to adjust to the newest residents' presence; reluctantly. It was nothing more than just the cold shoulder so as not to antagonize them and risk being reminded of their powers. That being said, David and Snow seemed to be more on edge than when they first arrived the day before. Still, things remained quiet around town and no one had turned up dead yet, so all in all things were well.

Nicholas decided to spend his day with Emma when she wasn't busy chasing down the two witches with her father. Everything was going well until her parents showed up at the station after it got dark; and Nicholas immediately noticed something suspicious about them the moment he saw them.

"I'm afraid we have some bad news." David informed as they walked in, "Turns out Cruella and Ursula were up to something."

"They resurrected Maleficent." Snow said cutting to the chase.

"And then there were four." Nicholas said in his head.

"The dragon that I slayed under the clock tower?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, and now she's back to her old self." David nodded.

"And as long as she's in town, no one is safe." Snow added.

"I don't get it. Why are these witches waging war against us?" Emma asked. For a moment, her parents hesitated, then Snow gave her an answer.

"Because they're villains, and we're heroes." she said.

"Well, that's rather cynical." Nicholas thought with his brow furrowed. Later that night, while Nicholas was in his study, he finally heard Regina come in through the front door.

"You're home late." he observed, "Busy looking for the Author again?"

"No, something else came up." she said removing her coat and entering the study, "Mary Margaret and David wanted to talk with me about the dysfunctional trio."

"About what?" he asked.

"They want me to act as a double agent and spy on them amongst their ranks. And they explicitly want it to be done without Emma knowing about it." she replied while pouring herself a glass of her hard cider.

"Why? What are they up to?" he asked.

"Well, that's why they want me to spy on them." Regina replied before taking a much needed drink.

"Not the witches, the Charmings. What are they up to and why are they so adamant about you spying on Maleficent, Cruella and Ursula?" Nicholas clarified with a sigh.

"They don't want me telling you, either." she admitted.

"Really?" Nicholas asked crossing his arms, "Why me, too?"

"Well, obviously, they think you'll tell Emma as soon as you find out." Regina retorted.

"What do they take me for? I have more secrets than anyone else in this town and I've managed to keep them all!" Nicholas said raising his voice in annoyance.

"And you're also their daughter's boyfriend who's as loyal to her as a dog." she reminded, "Besides, they didn't even tell me why they don't want Emma to know what they did. The only thing I can tell you is that it involved Maleficent back when Snow was still pregnant with Emma. Apparently, that was around the time they met the dragon bitch."

"Okay, you say that about her but I remember a certain witch-in-training acting like a total fangirl whenever someone even mentioned the name Maleficent." Nicholas reminded with a knowing look, "Who also made a point to risk her life in order to get her out of magic drug using funk once."

"Oh, like you never had a role-model growing up." she countered.

"Considering that I'm literally the most famous alchemist in the history of every realm, not really." he replied.

"Whatever." Regina scoffed.

"So when exactly are you gonna try and join the sorority from hell?" he asked.

"Tomorrow night." she replied taking another drink.

"I see." Nicholas sighed, "Well, in that case, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do, and please, for the love of God, don't get a tattoo; that's my shtick and we don't need it to be a family trait."

"Should I feel offended that you're not more concerned or trying to stop me?" she joked.

"You're a big girl and have gotten yourself thrown into deeper shit than this so why should I worry?" he asked with a shrug.

The next morning, after Regina had a night on the town with her fellow villains and after Emma found out what was going on, Nicholas came out of Granny's just as Emma pulled over her bug to a sudden stop.

"Find anything in there?" she asked worried about her friend's safety.

"Yeah, a burnt table, some broken bottles, and a very pissed off Granny who probably wishes she could still turn into a wolf and teach them a lesson." he replied, "Evidently, they drank the place dry. I think she won them over."

"Unless that's exactly what they wanted her to think." Emma argued.

"Look, I know you're worried, but we don't even know what happened yet."

"That's what's worrying me. She's not at home. She's not in her office. My parents are gonna check her vault, but-"

"And you fear the worst." he finished.

"I can't help but think that the undercover thing worked and if she's got the situation under control, then why the hell isn't she back yet?" Emma panicked.

"Because she's in the lion's den, Em." Nicholas reminded, "She's not going to be able to report back regularly. All we can do is wait until she does call in and go from there."

And that took until the late evening later that day in the back of the library. "Hey, we're here." David said before Regina came out from behind the shelves.

"I said we needed to meet covertly. Now I see you brought the entire Charming softball team and the smartass announcer." Regina remarked.

"Who're you calling a smartass?" Nicholas asked.

"You." they all replied bluntly.

"Okay, just checking." he joked.

"We were worried about you." Snow said.

"Well, then worry quickly. I can't be seen with all of you."

"Regina, listen to me. This is a bad idea." Emma warned, "This woman, this dragon, she's dangerous, and you don't know the first thing about going undercover."

"I'm a quick study," Regina defended, "And Maleficent already told me why they're here. Apparently, they're after the Author, too. I simply want him to change my fate."

"Well, what do they want?" Nicholas asked.

"They want to shift the entire balance so that villains win and heroes lose. They feel the only way to get their happy ending is to destroy yours." she informed gravely.

"Do you think they can find the author?" Emma asked.

"They have a lead we don't. And tonight, they want me to help them steal it; whatever it is."

"I'm telling you, these things never end well." Emma warned.

"I understand your concern, but I'm in."

"Okay, well, then I'm in, too." she decided.

"What?" Regina asked.

"I'm gonna stick by you. I'm gonna get your back while you do this." Emma declared.

"No, it's too dangerous." Regina denied.

"I said I was a part of Operation Mongoose. I'm a part of it. You wanted my help, now you're gonna get it no matter what it means for both of us. Whatever she has planned tonight, I'll be there."

"Me, too." Nicholas nodded, "If anyone's gonna make sure you don't screw this up, it's gonna be me. And we can consider this date-night." he said smirking at Emma. A few hours later while they were hiding in David's truck, Nicholas and Emma saw Cruella's car pull up in front of Regina when Maleficent suddenly appeared next to her. After a brief conversation, they watched as the two women entered the car and followed it at a safe distance.

"Never thought we'd be spending date-night following your sister in a tacky 20s car." Emma joked not taking her eyes off of the vehicle.

"Honestly, I was expecting a bit more excitement in this." Nicholas admitted as the car came to a stop, "Now why are they stopping here? This is Marco's place."

"Oh, crap." Emma muttered, "I know why they're here."

"Why?"

"Pinocchio." she growled as she got out of the car.

"What's he got to do with this?" he whispered as they snuck in to find Marco and his son unconscious with Regina standing over them.

"Regina." Emma alerted softly.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"We've been watching you. I saw you casting a sleeping spell, and my gut said something was wrong." she replied.

"Well, it will be if you don't get out of here." Regina whispered.

"Not until you tell us what Maleficent has you doing in here." Nicholas whispered.

"They're after Pinocchio." she sighed.

"I told you these things never end well." Emma said hotly, "We'll have to do this quickly. Let's take him out the back and then find a safe place."

"One little snafu and you're ready to pack up?" Regina asked, "What happens when Mal realizes and lets loose her inner dragon?"

"This is a child we're talking about, Regina. It's too big a risk." Emma argued.

"Not if I'm there to keep him safe. If they try to harm him, I'll stop them and fight my way out."

"Three of them! One of you!" Emma exclaimed while whispering.

"I know you think I'm in over my head, but I got this. You don't know them like I do."

"Then enlighten me, because ever since they came to town, my superpower's been going haywire, like everyone, including my own parents, is keeping something from me." Emma said.

"Emma, the only ones keeping secrets are Maleficent and her friends." Regina assured with a lie, "They've taken a page out of the heroes' playbook. They're working together, which means we have to take a page out of theirs and break some rules."

"She's right, Em." Nicholas agreed putting a hand on her shoulder, "This is our best bet right now."

"Fine." she relented, "But I see anything I don't like, we will come in blazing."

Regina nodded, picked up Pinocchio and brought him outside to show Maleficent. A few minutes after they left, Emma finally lost her patience when her phone wasn't showing any movement on Regina's phone.

"Come on. What's the hold up?" she muttered.

"I think I know." Nicholas growled as he headed outside the garage. Sure enough, laying in the street was his sister's cell phone.

"No." Emma exhaled, "Regina, what are you doing?"

"Something stupid, that's what." Nicholas sighed. In the distance, he could pick up the scents of where everyone was. It was faint, but he could smell his sister, Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella, Pinocchio and Gold gathered together in one place. Now, he had an excuse to tell Emma at least that much.

"What is it? What can you smell?" she asked.

"Four different kinds perfume, sawdust…and an expensive kind of cologne. Guess who that belongs too." Nicholas replied.

"Gold." Emma gasped, "He's back. What do we do?"

"Nothing." he replied earning a shocked look, "If we go over there now we'll not only risk Regina's life but Pinocchio's, as well. Wait a minute."

"What?"

"One of the scents just changed." Nicholas said trying to catch a whiff, "Sawdust…cologne…leather…dammit!"

"What is it?" Emma asked in concern.

"I think they just turned Pinocchio back into August." he replied, "Makes sense if you think about it. The kid can't remember so why waste everyone's time when you can just ask the man? Oi vey, Marco's gonna flip when he finds out. We're just gonna have to put our faith in Regina, now more than ever."

 **OUaT**

Many years ago at a port in the Enchanted Forest, a handsome, young bronze-skinned sailor was carefully sketching bizarre drawing in an old sketchbook on a massive Navy ship while his shipmates carried in crates of cargo.

"You know, we could use a hand with this!" one of them said while lifting a crate of cannon balls.

"Don't bother. Once he's got his nose stuffed in that sketchbook, there's no stopping him." another sailor teased.

"Well, if the task is too difficult for you, perhaps the captain selected milk drinkers instead of sailors for this voyage." the young man said with a playful smirk causing his friends to laugh.

"What are you sketching this time, lad?" one asked as they came over.

"Just an old dream." he replied as he stared at the drawing with a longing look before it was snatched from him.

"What the bloody hell is this supposed to be anyway?"

"It's a ship I hope to build one day." he answered, "One capable of traveling to places never before reached by any known sailor. A ship capable of sailing under water."

He may have said it in wonder, but his friends did nothing but laugh, for the idea seemed impossible. "A ship that can sail under water?! Bah!" they laughed.

"And just how far could this vessel go, pray tell?"

"20,000 leagues." he replied in defense.

"Forget it, lad. No such ship will ever exist." one of them said tossing the book back to him.

"It can and it will; I'll build it myself." he vowed.

"It's a dream, Nemo. Nothing more." the other man sighed as they went back to their duties.

"I'll show them." the young Nemo grumbled, "I will build a ship capable of going underwater. Then everyone will see what I can do."

"Sounds like she'll be an impressive vessel." another voice said from behind. Nemo turned around and saw who it belonged to.

"C-Captain, sir." he stuttered before saluting, "I-I-I, my apologies, sir. I-I wa-was just-"

"May I see that for a moment, son?" the captain asked kindly. Nemo handed it over and the captain looked at the various designs in amazement. "Fascinating. And you hope to build all these?"

"Yes, sir." Nemo nodded, "I know they seem foolish-"

"Not at all." the captain interrupted, "These ideas are amazing. I've never seen such details. Could you build these?"

"Yes, sir. All I would need is the materials and I could build everything in that book with ease."

"Remarkable. Truly remarkable." the captain praised, "I would very much like to sail on that ship you just mentioned. Have you thought of a name yet?"

"No, sir." Nemo replied.

"Then how about…Nautilus?" he suggested, "The Sword of the Ocean."

"It sounds perfect, sir. Thank you." Nemo smiled, "Are we ready to depart?"

"Yes, we are; no thanks to your sketching, though." he joked causing Nemo to fluster, "Weigh anchor! Get the main sails into the wind!"

"Aye, Captain!" the crew cried. As they all rushed to their stations, Nemo returned to his post at the helm and was ready to leave port before he caught a whiff of the air and looked to the sky.

"Something wrong, helmsman?" the captain asked growing impatient.

"Captain, I would advise not to leave port today." Nemo warned, "A terrible storm awaits us."

"Nemo," he sighed, "You are an exceptional sailor, best I've seen in all my years. But your duties are to follow my orders and to steer the ship. Leave the weather predictions to the navigator."

"But, sir-"

"That's an order." he snapped.

"…Aye, Captain." Nemo sighed before muttering, "But don't say I didn't warn you when we end up in Davey Jones' Locker."

Sure enough, Nemo's prediction was right. A terrible Maelstrom awaited them the evening they set out. The crew, or what was left after the waves sent them into the sea, fought hard to make it through the storm with Nemo as their one hope to steer them to safety. Unfortunately, the waves finally over powered him and sent him into the sea.

He survived, but as soon as he made it to the surface, he witnessed a heartbreaking sight. Lightning stuck the main mast of the ship and sent it crashing into the haul where the gun powder was kept for the cannons. Seconds after it fell, the fiery mast ignited the powder, and the ship blew sky high. And before he could weep for his friends, a piece of debris struck his head and rendered him unconscious.

Darkness and water took him; the end seemed near. But it never came. A pair of soft, delicate hands cupped his face before they grabbed his arms and pulled him up to the surface. He didn't know how long he was out, but the next thing Nemo knew, he felt sand underneath him, air in his lungs, and the sound of a beautiful voice singing in his ears.

" _What would I give to live where you are_

 _What would I pay to stay here beside you_

 _What would I do to see you smiling at me._

 _Where would we walk?_

 _Where would we run_

 _If we could stay all day in the sun?_

 _Just you and me, and I could be_

 _Part of your world."_

When the song was finally over, Nemo was fully awake and felt his heart long to hear more of that beautiful melody. And though he couldn't see her, a beautiful dark skinned mermaid watched him fondly from behind the nearest rock holding onto his sketch book against her chest. Once he gained his bearings, he found himself along the beach near the port he left earlier that day with only a yellow seashell in his hand. He could never explain why when would tell this story, but something in him told him not to let go of the shell; and he never did.

 **OUaT**

At the mansion, Nemo was staring out at the view of the sea from a balcony. With the wind blowing through his beard, he said nothing when Quartermain stepped out to join him.

"I just delivered that message for you, in case you were wondering." he said breaking the silence.

"Thank you." Nemo said curtly.

"If this is bothering you so much, then just go out there and confront her." Quartermain suggested.

"You know I can't, Allan." Nemo replied.

"No, you can, you're just choosing not to for Flamel's sake." Quartermain argued, "You know as well as I do that you can confront her and not risk our exposure."

"I will go when the time is right. I will not rush this no matter how much I want to see her."

"Fine." Quartermain sighed, "Just don't wait too long. We all know how much you've missed her. You may be the most subtle out of all of us, but we know you, Nemo."

"Is this your way of telling me that your concerned?" Nemo joked.

"What do you think?" he asked with a smug yet playful smirk.

"Thank you. But I will wait until the right moment." Nemo repeated.

"Fair enough." Quartermain relented with his hands raised as headed inside before stopping, "We are concerned, though, Nemo. And whatever happens, you have our support."

"Thank you, my friend. I know." Nemo nodded before looking back to the sea. Back in the woods, Snow, David, Emma and Nicholas were scoping out the area around Gold's cabin where the villains were keeping August.

"As long as he's with Regina, August will be alright." Snow assured.

"You don't know that." Emma sighed, "I just wish I hadn't let her ditch me."

"Hun, get used to it. I've known Regina for years and this is typical her." Nicholas informed no less annoyed at his sister than she was.

"Maybe, but I let her talk me into thinking kidnapping him was a good idea." Emma countered, "If anything happens to him, it's my fault."

Just then, a cloud of dark purple smoke came down towards them and enveloped Mary Margaret who looked unharmed.

"Mary Margaret?" David asked.

"What the hell was that? Are you okay?" Emma asked.

"I have to make this quick. We don't have much time." she said only in Regina's voice.

"Sis?" Nicholas asked.

"Pinocchio's fine. He's back to his old self, or older self. But there's something else you need to know. Gold is here." Regina warned.

"Told ya." Nicholas quipped.

"We're hold up in his cabin, and he's in town for more than just the Author. But he won't tell me why, which makes whatever it is he's planning, it's bad." Regina finished before exiting Snow's body.

"We need to get to Belle and find out where she hid the dagger." Nicholas advised. Once they made it back to town, they told Belle everything they knew.

"He's here?" she asked, "But that's impossible."

"I can smell him all the way from here. Believe me, he's back." Nicholas assured, "Besides, did you really think he'd be gone forever? That midget's resilient above all else, I'll give him that."

"We need you to give us the dagger so we can stop this fight before it starts." Emma added.

"The dagger? I-I don't have the dagger." Belle replied, "Killian does. He came to me the other night and suggested that he should hide it somewhere else where no one could find it."

"No, he didn't." Nicholas sighed as he put the pieces together, "Gold took a page from my book and disguised himself as Hook to get the dagger from you. Where is Hook anyway? He and Ariel are usually tagging along with us at this point."

"Well, they are engaged. They've got a pretty good excuse to stay busy." Snow reminded.

"They're getting married on his ship, they're both partial to fish and the guest list will mostly be his crew. What else is there to plan?" Nicholas asked bluntly.

"Can we get back on track, please?" Emma asked, "What are we gonna do about Gold and the others."

"First things first. We need to know what the dark one's planning, and I think I have a way." Nicholas informed.

"How?" Belle asked.

"Well, I think I know a way how to get one of the Queens of Darkness to have a chat with me; Ursula." he replied.

"You know her?" Emma asked.

"Not personally. I've only ever come across her once or twice back when Regina was terrorizing the Enchanted Forest. But I think I know how to figure out what her happy ending is and if I know that, I can use that a leverage over her. Plus, you'll be down a villain to deal with when you go save August."

"Are sure you know what you're doing?" Emma asked.

"Not really, but I've been in worse situations. I'll be fine." he assured as he gave her a hug and headed outside where he made a phone call. "Hey, Mina. Nemo there?"

"No, you just missed him. He just jumped through a portal." she replied.

. "Crap." he muttered, "Well, then I'll just have to adjust my plan. Say do you know whatever happened to Ursula?"

"Indeed. Come over to the mansion and I'll explain everything Nemo told me." she said only to see him transmute himself next to a second later.

"Well?" he asked.

"Damn, you're getting quick with that." she bluntly praised, "Anyway, you wanted to know what happened to Ursula, yes?"

"Yeah. Look, I know she's Nemo's wife, but things are escalating fast. I need to know how to handle her, especially since Nemo's gone."

"Alright." she nodded, "Unfortunately, all Nemo ever told me was that Ursula had something taken from her when she was young by a pirate and that led to her becoming a villain bent on terrorizing the seas."

"That's it?" Nicholas flatly asked, "If that's all you know, then why did I bother coming here?"

"Because you'll need this," Mina said sternly as she tossed him a conch shell, "to speak to Ursula. I'm starting to think we should call you the Impatient Alchemist."

"What am I supposed to do with a conch shell?" he asked a bit more politely.

"Go outside in the woods, away from the mansion, blow it and Ursula will hear you; then you'll be able to ask her yourself. It's like a dog whistle for mermaids." she replied.

"Magic never ceases to make absolutely no sense to me." Nicholas sighed as he examined the shell before transmuting himself outside far away from the mansion. After seeing that the coast was clear, he blew into the shell and waited for the Queen of Darkness to show up. About five minutes later, he found that it worked when he felt a tentacle wrap tightly around his throat.

"Hello, Agent Flamel." Ursula greeted as she choked him.

 **OUaT**

A few months after the storm, Nemo finally began to work on building his dream ship with the compensation he received from the royal Navy. So far, with what he had and the few men who actually believe in him and his dream, he was only able begin building a smaller prototype than the final design he envisioned. Out of all his helpers, two of them believed in him the most, a man his age called Ishmael and a beautiful girl, who hadn't given him her name yet, who would bring them food while they were working.

"Captain, she's coming along splendidly." Ishmael smiled as he stood next to his friend on the dock. So far, they managed to get at least ¼ done, but it was a start.

"Wait until we can build the real thing, my friend." Nemo grinned in excitement, "The Nautilus will dive beneath the waves soon enough."

"I wonder how the merfolk will react to seeing it." the girl said as she approached them with her basket, "I hear they aren't too fond of sailors these days."

"I think they'll be too stunned by her magnificence to even dare attack her." Ishmael replied, "And if they do, we'll show them what happens when they cross us."

"Now, now," Nemo eased, "No need for violence. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the merfolk and neither would the Nautilus."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked.

"The Captain claims that he was saved by a mermaid a few months ago after that terrible maelstrom took out his ship and crew where she sang a lovely song and left him with that shell he keeps in his turban." Ishmael replied as he took a sandwich from the basket, "And I still say that it was just a dream."

"So was this." Nemo countered while pointing to the unfinished ship, "And look where we are now. And stop calling me captain. The ship's not finished yet."

"Must have been some song if it made you want to keep something from that night." the girl smirked as Nemo at his lunch.

"It wasn't just the song. The girl, it's all I have to connect her with." Nemo replied tapping the shell on his head, "I think she traded with me without my consent."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I lost my sketch book that night. Everything I've ever hoped to design is in those pages and I know for a fact that I had it on me when I washed ashore." he informed causing her to shift.

"R-really?" she asked, "And what would you do to her if you found out she had it?"

"Politely ask for it back. What else would I do?" Nemo asked, "I'm not angry with her. Mermaids are known for pulling stunts like that. They collect more surface objects than any other known creature. I know she has it and that it's still in good condition; the pages and ink aren't effected by water."

"What'd you say it looked like again?" Ishmael asked as he grabbed some tools.

"White cover, blue spine, torn top left corner on the back." Nemo replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Cause she has it." Ishmael replied pointing his hammer at the girl who blushed and looked panicked, "Have fun with that conversation, _Captain_."

"You?" Nemo asked, "You were the one who saved me?"

"Yes." she said with a sheepish smile as she handed him the book from her basket, "I-I was going to tell you when I first saw you, but I saw what you were building and didn't want to keep you from it. Your-your ideas are amazing. I wanted to see one for myself."

"Oh, this is nothing." Nemo chuckled, "I only started building this one because I didn't have the book. But now, we can actually build the true Nautilus! Ishmael! Stop what you're doing! We're scrapping this model and going for the original design!"

"Gods dammit!" Ishmael cried as he threw his tools into the water and slipped on a rock falling into the sand causing the others to laugh.

"Thank you, so much." Nemo said looking the girl in her chocolate brown eyes, "You have done so much for me and I haven't done a thing to repay you. I don't even know your name."

"I was happy to do it." she smiled, "And it's Ursula."

"As in…the war goddess?" Nemo asked skeptically.

"Named after her." she laughed, "But I am the daughter of Poseidon."

"Oh, is that all?" Nemo laughed, "Hear that, Ishmael? We've been receiving our meals from the daughter of the sea God! Imagine that!"

"I think he's unconscious." Ursula said when he didn't even move.

"Yeah, we should probably help." Nemo nodded as they went over to help their friend.

 **OUaT**

"You certainly are bold to call me here, aren't you, little alchemist?" Ursula taunted as she continued to choke Nicholas, "What's your game?"

"No game!" he croaked, "I want offer you a deal."

"You have nothing I want." she scoffed.

"I can take you to your husband!" Nicholas offered gaining her attention.

"What?" she asked as she let him go, "Nemo's here?"

"Well, not presently." Nicholas coughed as air returned to his lungs, "But he does live here and will be back soon."

"Well, isn't that inconvenient?" Ursula asked as she tried to choke him again only to have her tentacle caught in his grip.

"Choke me once, shame you. Choke me twice, we're gonna have an issue." Nicholas warned as he tightened his grip, "Now I have some questions for you and I don't plan on leaving you alone until you answer them."

"You want to know why I stayed a villain even after I married Nemo." she stated.

"You had the one thing every villain wants, love. And yet, you threw it away and deserted him." Nicholas accused.

"I did not abandon him!" Ursula snarled in his face, "You think I wanted to come to this shit world? Cruella and I were sent here because of the Charmings and their stupidity."

"I don't care about your past with those two knuckleheads." Nicholas dismissed, "What are _you_ after? What's your end game?"

"You really want to know?" she asked, "Fine. My goal was once we found the Author, he'd send me to wherever Nemo was after I was given what was mine."

"And that would be?"

"My voice. My singing voice." she replied gaining his attention, "Not long after I saved Nemo, I ran into a pirate named Captain Hook."

"Oh," Nicholas groaned, "What did he do?"

"Originally, we started off well and I considered him a friend. Until he used my father's magic to steal my singing voice because I refused to use it to kill sailors and my father cheated him in a deal they made." she informed gritting her teeth at the memories, "After that, I used father's trident to give me power and became a villain."

"That's what you're after?" Nicholas asked finding it odd, "Your ability to sing?"

"You no idea what it was like being the one mermaid in any ocean that couldn't sing." she hissed, "Or what it was like living all those years without it. A mermaid's voice is everything to her."

"Okay, okay, I get it." he defended, "Well, as luck would have it, Hook's here in Storybrooke, as well. Most likely onboard his ship as we speak."

"Good. Now I can finally kill him." Ursula said as she started walking to the harbor only to be stopped by Nicholas.

"And that's where you and I have an issue." Nicholas said as he shoved her back a little, "See, I consider Hook a good friend, and I'm very protective of my friends; especially since he's engaged to a lovely girl who also happens to be a mermaid. We do things my way, or else."

"Or else what?" she scoffed, "You wouldn't harm one of your friends' wife, would you?"

"No, I wouldn't." Nicholas admitted, "Doesn't mean I wouldn't trap you in a seven-layered dome made out of stone in the middle of the woods until either I or Nemo come to pick you up, though. Your husband may be the smartest in our branch, but I'm the cleverest; don't forget it."

"Noted." Ursula nodded. Nicholas then took out one of the transport rocks his team used, crushed it, then tossed it at their feet which sent them to the Jolly Roger.

"I figured you would have preferred that over being transmuted over here." Nicholas clarified as Hook came up from below deck.

"Nicholas?" he asked, "Mate, what are you…"

"Hook." Ursula curtly nodded.

"Bloody hell." he gasped as he reached for his sword.

"No need for that." Nicholas said as he extended his spear to keep him from drawing, "We're just here for something you hopefully have."

"And what's that?" Hook asked not taking his eyes off of Ursula.

"My singing voice. You still have it?" she asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Hook asked Nicholas.

"Call it a favor for an old friend. And, no, I don't mean her." Nicholas replied, "Do you have it, or not?"

"Aye." he nodded, "In a safe in my quarters."

"Excellent." Nicholas grinned as he retracted his spear, "I'll go get it. You two can stay up here and chat; and hopefully not try to kill each other."

"No promises." Ursula scoffed.

"Still don't know what he sees in you." Nicholas muttered as he went below. The two just stared at each other in silence as the sound of the sea filled the air. It was then that Ursula broke the silence.

"If you want to apologize, go ahead." she said.

"I'm not sure I have the right." he admitted, "What I did to you was unforgivable."

"Perhaps." she shrugged, "But do you know what it's like to have the most precious thing in your life stolen from you by someone you trusted? Someone you thought was your friend?"

Hook said nothing. This was long overdue and he was going to take it like a man and let the lady express her anger.

"That hurt, too, you know. Do you know what I went through after what you did?" she asked, "I was only ever able to sing to my beloved one time and he barely conscious then. I couldn't sing for him at our wedding. I couldn't sing a single lullaby to my son or my daughter."

Hook looked away in shame as he clenched his jaw. It was evident that he felt guilty and terrible for what he did and Ursula knew this. She continued to speak.

"Now, let me tell you all the good that came from the choice you made." she said surprising him, "I learned the importance resilience, determination, humiliation, fortitude and humility. And after all I've been through, after all I've done because of you I can finally tell you, after all these years…that I forgive you."

"…I've only ever dreamed of hearing you say that." Hook whispered as he swallowed a large lump in his throat, "For what it's worth, I truly am sorry for what I did, Ursula."

"I know you are." she nodded, "I am still angry at you, but someone very dear to me taught me long ago that while I'm a villain, I can forgive those who've wrong me; to an extent."

"Hook, I know you don't get many visitors, but I suggest maybe cleaning up a bit down there. Smells like a different kind of fish in your room, if you catch my drift." Nicholas suggested as he came back up with the shell in his hand before handing it to its owner, "Now remember our deal, you get your voice back, you tell me what Gold's planning."

"Of course, unlike some people, I keep my word." Ursula replied as she tried to reclaim her voice. Unfortunately, when it tried to return to her, it went back into the shell. "It didn't work."

"Oh, this won't end well." Nicholas muttered.

"Looks like you were wrong, Flamel." Ursula said as anger filled her eyes, "Villains can't get their happy endings. Oh, I never should have believed you when you said we could do this without the Author. You probably planned this, didn't you? I bet my husband isn't even this damn town."

"I told you, he's out of town." Nicholas reminded as his anger and guard rose, "We had a deal, I got you your voice. It's not my fault your magic can't it out of the damn shell. Now tell me what Gold has planned.

"Our deal is over. You get nothing!" Ursula shouted as all eight of her tentacles came out and knocked out both men, "Have a nice swim, boys."

And with that, the sea witch tossed both Nicholas and Hook into the water while she retreated back to Gold's cabin. As luck would have it, Ariel was out swimming as this happened and was able to save them before Hook drowned. When Nicholas came to, he awoke to an angry mermaid glaring at him.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah." he groaned.

"Good." she said before slapping him, "That's for almost getting my fiancé killed."

"I guess I had that coming." he mumbled.

"Was that the real Ursula? Why did she throw you two overboard?" she asked as Hook came to.

"Because nothing ever wants to cooperate with me when I try to do something nice." Nicholas replied bitterly, "You're mermaid, how do you get a voice trapped inside a shell out?"

"That's what this is about?" she asked.

"Crazy, right?" Nicholas bluntly asked as he dried himself off.

"Well, the only way to get a voice out is to have whoever enchanted the shell undo the magic on it." Ariel replied, "Who did it to her?"

"That would be her father, King Poseidon." Hook groaned, "No easy feat, I can assure you."

"How many hoops am I gonna have to jump through for this?" Nicholas asked before thinking, "That actually may explain why Nemo up and left all of a sudden. Should've known."

Sure enough, once he made it to the deck, a massive geyser of water erupted from the side of the ship. From it, Nemo and an older dark skinned man wearing bonze armor with a trident in his hand landed on the ship.

"You know, it would've been nice to know that you were going to see your father-in-law before I started this little excursion of mine, Nemo." Nicholas sighed before directing his attention to Poseidon, "Lord Poseidon."

"Pleasure as always, Agent Flamel." the god nodded kindly, "Where is my daughter?"

"Well, before she knocked me out and threw me overboard, she was guarding a friend of my girlfriend's, so she's probably headed back there as we speak." he replied, "If you would be so kind as to take us there?"

"Of course." he nodded before slamming his trident on the ship and transporting them to Gold's cabin.

"Uh, perhaps I should go in first." Nicholas suggested, "Nemo you may want to wait somewhere else, I can smell Emma and her parents in there, too."

"Very well. I will be waiting at the shore. Please hurry." he begged before crushing a transport rock and poofing away. Once he headed towards the door, he could here Ursula speak.

"The Author is the only one who can give me what I want." she said.

"Well, that's not true." Nicholas interjected.

"How are you still breathing?" she asked in annoyance.

"Well, I'm not known as the Immortal Alchemist for nothing; duh." he replied, "Regardless, you don't need the Author to get what you want. The reason why you couldn't release your voice from that shell is because there's only one person who can; the person who enchanted it to begin with."

"Wait. You don't mean-"

"Indeed, I do." Nicholas smiled as he bowed his head in respect for Poseidon as he entered the cabin.

"Father?" Ursula asked, "How are you here in this land?"

"Your husband came to Atlantis and brought me here." he replied careful not to blow Nemo's cover, "And there's something I need to say. I'm sorry, Ursula. I never should have forced you to use your voice as a weapon. It was just…every time I heard you sing, I heard your mother, and it was too painful. I let that pain fuel my desire for vengeance, but it shouldn't have. It should have reminded me that I still had a piece of her; you. Let me return your voice so I can hear it one last time."

With a wave of his hand over the shell, Ursula's voice returned to her and allowed everyone to hear just how beautiful she could sing. For the first time in over thirty years, the princess of the sea had a genuine smile on her face and love in her heart for her father.

"Now that you are whole again, I'll leave you in peace." Poseidon said sadly even though he was happy for her.

"Wait." she stopped, "My voice is all we have left of mother. You took it from me once, I don't want to do the same thing to you."

"What are you saying?" he asked.

"I've missed you." she said before finally giving her father a hug that was long overdue.

"I've missed you, too." he said letting a few tears of joy escape. As the father and daughter left arm in arm, Nicholas smiled at the sight feeling proud at what he accomplished.

"Why'd you do it?" Emma asked when everyone else left.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Go out of your way to help Ursula like that?"

"Well, I can't give you all the details, but what can tell you is that Ursula's actually married to very dear friend of mine and he hasn't seen her since before the first curse. I did all this for him because he's made plenty of sacrifices for me over the years. It was the least I could do." Nicholas replied.

"Wow." was all she could say.

"That's it?" he playfully asked, "No further questions about who my friend is or how we know each other or why I haven't even said his name?"

"Not this time." she admitted, "I know you have a lot of secrets, secrets that you either can't or won't tell me and…and it's okay."

"It is?" he asked becoming serious.

"I know you're just trying to protect me and you'll tell me when you're ready. And I'm okay with that. Your secrets are yours and I can live with that. What I can't accept is you lying to me all the time; it really pisses me off when you do that."

"Sweetheart, believe me, I hate when I have to do that to you, I really do." Nicholas said honestly, "But…it's complicated."

"I know." she replied, "And when you want to tell me, I'll be ready. Just please stop lying to me."

"I promise." he said softly as he held her close, "There's no way I'm gonna lose my happy ending. I love you too much."

"I love you, too." she whispered as happy tears escaped her eyes when he called her his happy ending.

"I have to protect her." he thought, "At any cost. I can't lose her."

Later that night, Nemo waited on the beach to reunited with his beloved. A moment later, heard the soft sound of her humming the same song she sang when they first met. He turned and felt his heart stop when he gazed upon her beauty. He didn't say a word, only flung his arms around her and gently kissed her as tears streamed down both their faces. Off to the side, Poseidon smiled fondly as his daughter while Nicholas and the rest of his branch smiled fondly at Nemo reuniting with his wife.

"You did good today, Flamel." Quartermain praised, "You did good."

"Thanks, boss." Nicholas thanked, "This moment would better if Skinner wasn't bawling, though."

"Shut up!" Skinner wailed as he blew his nose loudly, "It's a touching moment! Excuse me for having a heart!"

"It's okay, Skinner. Some guys are just more sensitive than others." Sawyer mocked.

"Oi! I ain't sensitive!" Skinner defended hotly.

"Then why the hell are you crying?!" Sawyer, Mina and Nicholas exclaimed while Quartermain rolled his eyes. As they did this, Ursula came over to them with her arm around Nemo's.

"I think it's time for me to hold up my end of the deal." she said to Nicholas gaining everyone's serious attention, "Gold's plan, I'm afraid it involves Emma. She's the only way he can ensure happy endings for the villains."

"I thought he was gonna get the Author to rewrite everyone's stories." Nicholas recalled.

"It's not that simple. The Author can't just change things in this world because he didn't give everyone their happy endings here." Ursula informed.

"Emma did." Nicholas realized.

"She's the Savior. And as long as there's a Savior, the Author can't give the villains what they really want. And the dark one knows this."

"He's going to try to kill the Savior?" Quartermain asked.

"Worse." Ursula replied, "He plans to fill her heart with darkness; forever."

"Like hell he will." Nicholas growled as his anger sky rocketed.

 **OUaT**

After a year of hard intense work, Ishmael, Ursula and Nemo stood proudly as they gazed upon the massive ship that was officially dubbed _Nautilus: Sword of the Ocean_. To commemorate the occasion, Ishmael went to fetch some ale for the three of them while the rest of the crew cheered and applauded. While he did, Nemo grabbed hold of Ursula with his left hand, which was crowned with a wedding ring, and felt two tentacles wrap around him while she kissed him repeatedly; one of which had a ring of its own. It was certainly a dream come true for the both of them.

 **Human Sacrifices**

 **1\. Nicholas Flamel**

 **2\. Rumplestiltskin**

 **3\. The Apprentice**

 **4\. Maleficent**


	45. Best Laid Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **Enjoy!**

The following morning, Emma made a phone call to the Mills' house with surprising news for both siblings, news that she said could only be explained in person on account of how ridiculous it was. Sure enough, when they made it to the loft, Regina and Nicholas couldn't believe what she told them.

"The Author is locked behind the illustration of a door?" Nicholas asked.

"How the hell is he trapped inside the book?" Regina asked.

"Don't ask me. You're the magic expert." Emma retorted.

"Mom." Henry said, though no one heard him.

"Well, this is insane. What are we supposed to do, draw a key?" Regina scoffed.

"What we need to do is figure it out before Gold does." Nicholas stressed.

"Mom!" Henry said loudly.

"What is it?" Regina asked.

"There's something wrong with August." he said. Sure enough, the former puppet looked pale and weak.

"We need to get him help." Emma said. With a wave of her hand, Regina transported them to the fairies for their help.

"He's been through a lot." Blue said while August rested in one of their beds.

"What's happening?" Emma asked, "He was awake, and then he passed out."

"Well, he's been changed by magic many times. For him to survive this, he will have to be very strong." Blue replied.

"We have a bigger problem." Regina reminded as she led them into the hall, "Gold and these other witches are expecting me. They sent me on a mission to get that page from the book. And if I return empty-handed, whatever suspicions they have of me will be confirmed."

"Then give them this." Emma said as she made an exact replica of the page with her magic.

"Wow. You're getting good." Henry praised.

"I've been practicing." Emma smirked.

"A forgery?" Regina asked unimpressed, "This is Gold we're talking about."

"Then pull out, and we'll protect you." Nicholas retorted.

"We still don't know what they're up to. It's a bigger risk not to know." Regina argued before her cell rang, "That's them probably wondering where I am."

"Mom, the forgery's good." Henry assured.

"Not good enough." Regina replied as she snapped a picture of the real page with her phone, "But maybe what we need is a different kind of copy."

"Because Gold and those witches don't know that the page contains the actual door." Nicholas reminded, "All they are about is what the door looks like. Smart thinking, sis."

"Hopefully, this will be enough to keep them on their wild goose chase around town. I've got to get going. Bye." she said as she hugged her brother and son tightly a little longer than expected.

"Okay, Mom." Henry said when she wouldn't let go.

"Sorry. Sorry. Just not sure if…when I'll be back to see you two." she admitted, "But don't worry. I'll be fine."

"Now that we have that settled," Nicholas said after his sister left and they made it back to the loft where her parents were, "There's something I need to tell you, Emma. Something Ursula told me last night."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Before she left, she told me what the villains have planned." he replied, "In order to get their happy endings, they intend to darken your heart, to turn you into a villain so you'll no longer be the Savior."

"What?" Henry asked, "You can't just un-savior the Savior."

"Apparently, Gold thinks he's found a way. By using the Author's power." Nicholas replied causing David and Snow to looked more worried than ever before.

"That's insane." Emma chuckled, "If that's what their plan is, stop worrying. It's ridiculous. Author or no Author, I am not going dark."

"Maybe. But darkness is a funny thing. It creeps up in you. Twists your reasons, and makes you do things you never thought you could do. Trust me, I've had experience." Nicholas warned with guilt in his voice.

"Hey." Emma said softly looking into his eyes, "No one, not Rumplestiltskin or some Author, gets to decide who I am."

After David and Snow slipped out of the loft, Henry resumed looking for clues in the book while his mother and uncle sat together by the window cuddling. Emma was wrapped up in her love for Nicholas, but he was clearly on edge due to what he knew about Gold's plan.

"Nicky, are you still worried?" she asked.

"Of course I'm worried. How could I not be?" he asked as she rubbed his arm sweetly, "I know you won't lose to the darkness, but I know how hard it can fight."

"You talking about what you said earlier?" she asked, "When was that, when Cora died?"

"No, that wasn't darkness, that was just anger." he said softly, "A long time ago, I made a promise to help someone bear a dark and terrible burden; one that was capable of ensnaring people to do unspeakable things. And I fell to its temptation. I was willing to kill my friend just to keep it away from him because I was weak. That's what darkness does, Emma…it makes you do terrible things, even to your friends and loved ones. Just look at everyone else in my family and what we've done."

"Hey," she soothed kissing his temple, "You are not weak and neither of us are gonna go dark. Just because you let one friend down doesn't mean you'll turn out like Gold and the others. Do you remember that video I showed you from the foster home?"

"With your friend when you were a girl?" he asked.

"Lily. Her name was Lily. She was my first and best friend, and I pushed her away forever. And after that, I just…wasn't great at making friends. You were the rare exception." Emma said kissing his cheek.

"Emma, look." he said gazing out the window at a purple magic wave.

"What the hell is tha-" she began to say only be put to sleep with Nicholas the second it passed through them. Looking over the town, Regina, Cruella and Gold watched as Maleficent finished her spell on the residents of Storybrooke.

"It's done. Now let's get to work." she said darkly. After they walked through town to make sure that everyone was indeed asleep, Regina led them to the loft where they found Emma sleeping against Nicholas' chest as his face twisted and scrunched as though he were in pain. The minute she saw him like this, she knew her little brother was having another nightmare about his past so she went over to him to try and soothe him as he slept.

"I must say, your brother looks a lot less threatening in this state. Doesn't he, Regina?" Maleficent taunted which earned her a glare.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted wring both his and the Savior's scrawny necks right now." Cruella snarled as she glared at the couple.

"Go anywhere near him, and you lose those gin cup holders you call hands." Regina threatened, "Besides, killing the Savior at this point would be ill-advised; not to mention, there'd be no stopping Nicholas's rampage afterwards, either."

"Your right about that." Rumple agreed, "Yet wrong about the location of the page. It's not here."

"We just have to keep looking." Regina, "The page was here two hours ago. It didn't just grow legs and walk out of here on its own."

"Then perhaps you should stop tending to the slave, and help us look." Maleficent suggested which caused Regina to hurl the nearest knife at her "friend" and imbed it into the wall by her ear.

"Don't ever call him a slave." Regina hissed as her body wracked with a white hot anger.

"If the page isn't here, it's possible someone walked out of here with it." Rumple suggested.

"I put the whole town to sleep, even Flamel's sawing logs. No one could be awake." Maleficent argued.

"Except those who have been under a sleeping curse and are immune." he countered which alerted Regina, "I may know a resourceful young man who's wide awake. One who's very protective of the storybook and all its contents. One who's gonna test his mother's commitment towards helping me."

"Henry." Regina nodded as the others exited the loft. As they did, Regina rose from the couch only to be stopped by Nicholas holding onto her arm while he suffered his nightmare. She looked down at him with a sad smile and smoothed his hair before kissing his forehead. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

Outside in the streets, Regina warned her cohorts with yet another threat. "No one goes near Henry but me. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with one of my fireballs."

As the rest of the went on, Regina's cover was blown after she gave the villains the fake page after they intercepted Henry. After they left, Snow and Charming arrived and convinced Henry to go back home and leave the real page and the key to the door he found with them; only they intended to to burn it. But before they could, Snow's conscience got the better of her and she and David decided not only to keep the page, but to tell Emma the truth to what they had been keeping from her.

Back when Snow was pregnant with Emma, the two of them worked with the Queens of Darkness to seek out a way to prevent Regina's curse from being cast. In the process, Maleficent revealed that Emma had the potential to not only become a brave hero, but an even worse villain than her, her friends, Regina or even Rumplestiltskin. This information terrified the royal couple so much that they decided to go to severe lengths to keep Emma from turning dark. As it turned out, Maleficent was also pregnant at the time, only her child was in a dragon's egg.

When they learned of this, and with the help of a traveling peddler, they met the Apprentice who told them of how they could ensure that Emma would forever be a hero untouched by the darkness. All they would have to do was sacrifice Maleficent's child for their own; and so they did thinking only of themselves. But all magic comes with a price and the price for this was the banishment of Maleficent's baby to another realm despite their promise to return it to its mother. Cruella and Ursula discovered this and tried to save their friend's child, but they were sent through the portal along with it; the portal that sent them to this realm with no means of ever returning home.

After they returned home, they woke Emma and Nicholas up and confessed to their daughter what they did. When they finished their tale, Emma looked at them in anger for not just lying to her, but for what they did to Maleficent and her baby. Nicholas was simply shocked when he realized that it was their fault that Nemo went the past thirty years without his wife and that they were even capable of doing such a terrible thing to an innocent baby of all things.

"This whole time, I was right. You were lying." Emma whispered as tears of betrayal formed in her already puffy eyes, "I wanted to believe you. I wanted to believe in you."

David and Snow looked more ashamed and scared than Nicholas had ever seen them in the time he knew them. Ashamed at what they did and scared for what Emma might feel towards them and whether she'd ever forgive them or not.

"We were just…trying to protect you." David softly defended. It was clear that he couldn't bear to see his baby girl look at him like that.

"Emma, are you alright?" Nicholas asked as he tried to hold her hand, but she swiftly pulled it away while glaring at her parents.

"No. I'm not okay." she exhaled as she got out of her seat and headed to the door, "I've got to go."

"Please, stop." Snow begged as she tried to stop her, "I'm your mother."

Emma then said three words that absolutely broke Snow's heart. "I don't care."

And with that, she left her parents to wallow in their heartbreak and guilt. Nicholas rose from his seat to follow her. He couldn't think of one single word that would have done justice to what he was feeling towards the two before him. All he could do was shake his head at them with hard glare of his own before he chased after the woman he loved. Sure enough, he found her sitting on the same bench at the docks where they rekindled their friendship and began to love each other.

"Hey." he said as he approached her.

"I'm just gonna need some time." she said as she held the page and key.

"I just got a call from your parents on my way here. August is awake." he informed gaining her attention.

"Is he-"

"He's gonna be fine." Nicholas assured before pulling Emma into a much needed hug.

"Why did my parents send you?" she asked.

"They didn't think you'd listen to them." he replied as he rubbed her back.

"…They were right." she sighed. After a quick drive over to the monastery, Emma rushed in to check on her friend but was disappointed to see her parents standing next to him. "August, how are you?"

"A bit tired, but better." he said before stiffening up when he saw Nicholas enter the room, "What's he doing here?"

"Relax, _Groot_ , I'm just here for Emma. And you'll be happy to know that we found the key to the door."

"You did it." August said.

"That's right. Now what do you say we let the Author out 'cause I have some questions." Emma nodded.

"Emma, please think about this." Snow begged, "This isn't just what Regina wanted. This is what Gold wanted, too. He was doing it to turn you dark."

"I'm not worried about it. Are you?" Emma asked bitterly with a glare, "Because now I have some questions about me, and he can tell us everything."

"If he's the one who wrote your story." August pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Nicholas asked.

"There's something you need to know about this Author. He wasn't the only one." he informed, "There have been many Authors throughout time. It's a job. Not a person. And the one trapped in here was just the last tasked with the great responsibility."

"Which is?" Emma asked.

"To record. To witness the greatest stories of all time and record them for posterity. The job has gone back eons, from the man who watched shadows dance across cave walls and entire philosophy, to playwrights who tell tales in poetry, to a man named Walt. Many have had this sacred job. Great men and women who took on the responsibility with the gravity that it deserved; until this last one. He started to manipulate rather than record. He did something, I don't know exactly what, but something that pushed them over the edge. That's why the Sorcerer and his apprentice put him in there. They're the ones who choose the Author, and they took responsibility for their error."

"If they did, and he's still in there, he still has the ability to alter the book, to alter the course of things." Emma realized.

"You sure have come a long way from the woman who wouldn't believe." August chuckled.

"Yeah, I have." Emma said as she set the page down and unlocked the door. In a flash of bright yellow light, the Author, dressed in clothes from the Enchanted Forest that hugged his scrawny body, popped right out of the page and into the room.

"Oh. Whoo!" he exclaimed, "It was cramped in there! I couldn't even reach this. And I was parched." he said holding up an old flask that caught Snow and David's attention.

"Where did you get that?" David asked.

"This?" he asked, "Uh, a nice young couple I met on the road gave it to me. You want some? It's sort of nutmeg-y."

"You." Snow realized, "You're the Author?"

"The peddler?" David asked.

"We have a lot of questions." Emma said.

"I bet you do." the Author kindly chuckled before throwing the curtain rod at them and tossing what was inside the flask at Nicholas. Instead of it being brandy, it was fairy dust which tore through his face like acid. As they were distracted, he made his escape into the woods.

"Hey!" Emma cried as she chased after him. But once she was outside, she couldn't see him anywhere.

"The Author, where is he?" David asked as they joined up with her as Nicholas finally stopped healing.

"We lost him." Emma said dryly, "How in the hell did he know to use fairy dust on you?"

"I guess I wasn't as ignored when he wrote the book as I thought." Nicholas gritted in anger.

"We know him, Emma." Snow confessed.

"What?" she asked hotly.

"We met him a long time ago, before you were born." Snow replied.

"He manipulated us." David added, "It's because of him we were put on the path to causing Maleficent to lose her child."

"It's true." Snow nodded already believing in the excuse. Emma was certainly not happy with it, though.

"No. No, what's true is no matter how you were manipulated, you still did what you did, and you lied to me about it! You've been lying to me about everything! About you, about me!" Emma shouted as tears started to form again.

"That's not the case." David interrupted, "It's one incident from our past."

"Don't downplay it." Emma snapped.

"Well, we've changed." Snow defended, "We've tried to become the parents you deserve."

"I am only the Savior because you altered the state of my entire being at the expense of someone else's soul." Emma spat.

"You're right." David agreed, "What we did, it was wrong. But we-we didn't fully understand what we were doing. We acted out of fear. We're human."

"Yeah, well, right now I don't care. None of that matters now. We have to find that Author before Gold does." Emma said before storming off.

"You made a mistake, guys." Nicholas said flatly to the couple, "You made a choice and it was the wrong one. Stop trying to make excuses to justify it and just accept that what you did was wrong. Emma's never gonna forgive you if you keep doing that."

As he tried to get away from the royals, Isaac, the Author, looked around for a suitable branch for him to use. Once he found one, he began to widdle the tip to make it a replacement quill for him to use.

"Well, I'm not much of a writer. But I do know a thing or two about magic quills." Gold said smugly as he appeared before Isaac.

"Such as?" he asked.

"That they can only be carved from the wood of enchanted trees and unfortunately for you, none of the timber that lies in Storybrooke meets that criteria." Gold smirked.

"Dammit!" Isaac cursed as he snapped the branch and noticed the others searching for him, "I have to get away."

"Yes, you do. Or you could come with me." Gold offered knowing he would.

"And why would I do that?" Isaac asked, "You are by far the biggest pain in the ass I've ever had the displeasure of writing about."

"Yes, there is that." Gold chuckled as he pulled out Isaac's actual Author quill, "But there's also this."

"What do you want from me?" Isaac asked now that he knew he had no other choice.

"You are gonna write me a whole bunch of new happy endings." he smirked.

"Sigh…okay." he relented.

"I thought so." the dark one chuckled before poofing them away. After he dropped the Author off at his cabin, Rumple returned to Regina's vault where she was bound in chains after finally waking up from Maleficent's spell.

"Your hands are tied, I'm afraid." he informed as she realized her situation, "No more magic for you today."

"So now I'm your prisoner." Regina stated.

"You and the Author." he corrected, "Well, actually, he had the good sense to join the team, whereas you, you back the wrong one."

"What about everything you said to me?" she asked, "You wanted me to find my happiness."

"Well, that's true. Just not at my expense." Rumple replied, "You see, the affection I have for you, well, there are limits."

"What happened to you?" Regina asked.

"I lost everything. Just as you will if you don't do as I say." he darkly replied as he pulled out a scrap of paper, "I found this in your pocket. Telephone number registered to a Robin of Loxley."

"Give that back." she demanded.

"I'm guessing you have this number because your worried about poor Robin Hood out there in the cold, harsh world. And so you should be." Rumple warned.

"What do you know that I don't?" Regina growled, "What happened to Robin?"

With a wave of his hand, Gold made the magic binding cuffs on Regina disappear as he gave her the number and his cell phone. "Ask him yourself. Call." he ordered.

Even though she was confused, Regina dialed the number anyway and hoped that her beloved would answer. "Robin?" she asked.

"No, it's not Robin." Marian answered on the other line in New York.

"Marian?" Regina asked.

"Not exactly." she chuckled before her voice changed to one Regina never thought she's hear again, "Hello, sis."

"No." Regina said as he legs gave and she needed to sit down, "No, it can't be."

"Oh, but it is." Zelena taunted wickedly.

"Zelena. But how? I saw you die."

"You thought you saw me die." Zelena corrected.

"Where's Robin?" Regina asked hotly, "This is his phone. What have you done with him?"

"I haven't done anything except love and honor him in sickness and in health, to have to hold and all that other wifely nonsense." Zelena mocked in disgust.

"I-I don't understand." Regina stuttered.

"Well, you don't have to. All you need to know is that while your precious Robin thinks it's his wide-eyed wife cooking dinner for him every night, it's actually me." she chuckled, "Oh, I've got to run, sis. He'll be home soon, and I've got a meatloaf in the oven."

"No." Regina denied as her world shattered and as she glared at Gold, "No."

"Oh, you sound like you need a moment." Zelena continued to taunt, "Take it. I'm sure we'll see each other again very soon. Oh, and before I forget. Please, do send my regards to _Abba._ "

When he sister hung up, Regina couldn't take her eyes off of her former teacher as a maelstrom of emotions stormed through her very being. "You knew." she hissed.

"And that's why you will do everything I ask." Rumple admitted, "Because one phone call from me and your beloved dies at the hands of your sister."

"She murdered your son!" Regina reminded.

"Well, your brother had a hand in that, too. And Zelena and I have come to an understanding." Rumple replied, "And now you and I have an understanding as well. Regina, you are vital to my plan to turn the Savior towards darkness."

"You made me a monster. But I won't let you do the same to Emma." she defied.

"So you've made your choice, have you?" he asked, "You're choosing the Savior over your beloved Robin Hood? Is that your final answer?"


	46. Sympathy for the De Vil

**Hiya, folks! Sorry this came in late, I forgot to tell you guys that I was heading to Colorado for a hiking trip for a couple of days for a family guy's trip. If anybody wants a tough workout in the great outdoors, try the Manitou Incline. Fair warning, it's 2,744 steps up a mountain and ends at an elevation of 8,400.**

 **Anyway, just to let you guys know, I will be starting my new job sometime this week and will be doing so until August 1st (I won't go back to school for about two to three weeks afterwards) so updates will be slow when that happens. In light of that, I'm posting two chapters at once this time, this and the one following. I do hope you enjoy them both, and please, let me know what you think and feel free to ask any questions that come up as you read, I'd be happy to answer.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, or FMAB.**

When morning came after searching all night for the Author, everyone returned to the loft to rethink their plans to catch him. "You have to remember something else about the Author, some way to find him. Now think." Emma snapped at her parents.

"We told you everything we know." David gently reminded.

"Are we sure about that? Because secrets just keep coming out." Emma barked.

"Okay. You're clearly still upset." Snow began to say.

"Yes, I am still upset." Emma spat, "You were the ones who taught me there is always a right way. A heroic way. And what you did to Maleficent's child-"

"It was our only option to make sure you grew up good." David stressed.

"I'm sorry, but if it were me, no matter what, I would not harm a defenseless person." Emma in a raised voice.

"And that right there, that goodness is exactly why we did what we did. It was worth it." Snow defended.

"Tell that to Maleficent and her child!" Nicholas finally snapped, he was having enough of their excuses almost as much as Emma. It was then that Regina entered the loft with an unhappy expression.

"Regina, where have you been?" Emma asked.

"In the middle of a very bad day." she sighed, "I'll tell you the whole story later, after I rescue Robin Hood."

"Rescue Robin?" Nicholas asked, "What the hell are you talking about? From what?"

"Our sister." Regina replied causing everyone to look at her with shocked looks. All the color drained from Nicholas's face before he spoke.

"What?" he whispered.

"I called that number Emma gave me, but Marian answered the phone, only it was actually Zelena. I don't know how it's possible, but our sister has been masquerading as her this entire time. And she's in league with Gold. Robin's in danger, so I'm going to New York to find him and stop her."

Nicholas hadn't processed this, however. He stopped listening when he heard that his other sister was in fact alive and began to figure out what happened to her. He quickly remembered the security tape of her apparent suicide and realized that while that wasn't exactly what happened, she now qualified as a candidate for human sacrifice just like him and the other four.

"I need a smoke." he said interrupting the conversation he was ignoring before hurrying outside. Instead of pulling out his pipe, he pulled out his phone and went to a familiar group chat.

"This is an important message, guys. The most important one yet." he texted, "I think we now know who the fifth sacrifice will be."

"Who?" Sawyer asked.

"So soon?" Skinner asked, "They seem to popping up all of a sudden."

"Who is it?" Mina asked.

"My sister." Nicholas texted.

"Regina?!" Sawyer asked.

"No, Zelena." he replied.

"WHAT?!" Skinner typed.

"How is that possible?!" Quartermain asked.

"I thought you said she was dead!" Nemo exclaimed.

"I think Gold may have altered that security tape we saw at the station." Nicholas replied, "I don't have all the details, but my gut tells me that Zelena has met the needed criteria to be a human sacrifice."

"Where is she now?" Quartermain asked.

"That's the bad news." Nicolas said before sending another text, "Turns out she's actually been disguised as Marian this entire time. Meaning she's in New York with Robin as we speak. And I don't think he knows it's her, either."

"Should we contact him and warn him?" Sawyer asked.

"She's no threat to him outside of Storybrooke without her magic." Mina reminded, "Plus he's no greenhorn, either."

"Don't tell him, yet." Nicholas interjected, "Regina's the one who found out and is the only one who has Robin's number; and she plans of going to New York to rescue him before Zelena tries anything. If he does anything to show that he knew about Zelena before Regina gets there, there will be holes in whatever lie he comes up with and that could come back to bite us in the ass."

"I thought you said you wanted to tell the others about us once all five sacrifices were accounted for?" Nemo asked.

"Well, like I said, I don't know for sure if Zelena is a candidate or not. Plus, the Author's free from the book now and Gold's already gotten to him." Nicholas added, "Who knows what they might do if they find out about us this early in the game. Our safest bet is to wait until everything is dealt with before we go public."

"Flamel's right." Quartermain agreed, "We must be patient and wait just a little longer. What do you plan to do next?"

"There's only one thing I can do." Nicholas texted, "I need to go to New York with Regina, find out whether or not Zelena is our last sacrifice and bring her back along with Robin. If she is, then we're gonna need him here for when the Promised Day comes."

"Yeah, that really is the only you can do." Sawyer agreed, "But what if she isn't sacrifice material? What then?"

"I'm still gonna bring her and Robin back. Robin only left because he thought his wife would die if she stayed here, so there's no point in him staying in New York. If it turns out that Zelena is the final sacrifice, then we'll finally have everything ready and we can proceed with our countermeasures against the Homunculi." Nicholas replied.

"I take it that you'll want to tell the others about all of this after you settle things with the Author and Dark One?" Quartermain asked.

"It'll be as good a time as any to do so." Nicholas replied while his sister and girlfriend came out of the loft. While they chatted next to the cars, they both received the same message from Henry Nicholas received after he sent his reply to Quartermain.

"A video message?" he asked himself as he pressed play and saw something that made his blood both freeze and boil.

"Moms, Uncle, Cruella has me." Henry said on the recording, "If you ever wanna see me again, you have to do what she says."

"Hello, darlings!" Cruella greeted as her face came on screen, "As you can see, I have your dreadful son and nephew. If you prefer him to remain intact, you'll do exactly as I say; kill the Author. Then, bring me his broken little body, or your boy will meet a very unhappy ending. Oh, and, Flamel darling, if you come anywhere near me, I'll be sure to let my dogs know what brat tastes like."

"Great. Just great." Nicholas spat. Back inside the loft, the three of them informed the Charmings of the video and replayed it for them in case they could spot something they missed.

"I recognize that trailhead marker." David said as he pointed at a sign behind Cruella in the video, "Cruella is holding Henry a couple of miles south of the toll bridge. You're not actually considering Cruella's demand to kill the Author, are you?"

"Of course not." Regina answered, "Even if we could find him, it wouldn't be half the fun of killing Cruella. Let's see how she likes being made into outerwear."

"Regina!" Snow snapped.

"What? It's Emma's heart we're trying to protect, not mine." she defended.

"If we go in guns blazing, we risk hurting Henry. We have to find another way." Emma pressed.

"And you heard what Cruella said, I go anywhere near her and Henry's dead." Nicholas reminded.

"Can't you just disguise yourself as Regina or Emma and take care of her then?" David asked.

"No, it won't work." Snow replied before he could, "Whatever animal Cruella has at her side will know it's him. They can sense his Stone, or something."

"She's right." Nicholas nodded, "But there may be something else I can do. If Cruella and the Author are enemies, perhaps he knows the best way to defeat her. I can track his scent and go from there."

"We can help with that." Snow immediately offered, "We can give Nicholas a hand in case Gold or Maleficent shows up."

"Sounds like the perfect job for you two." Emma said coldly, "I'll call Hook and have him meet up with me and Regina and we'll scope the area where's Cruella's hold up with Henry."

"Emma, I know you're still angry, but avoiding us is not going to help." Snow stressed.

"I'm not avoiding you." Emma snapped, "With Henry's life on the line, I need to be around people I trust, and right now, that's not you."

After the group split up and Hook joined the two ladies, Regina finally began her lecture for Emma as they walked through the rain and woods. "You're acting like a petulant child. Your parents did a bad thing. They apologized. Now get over it."

"Forgive me if I don't take advice from the woman who held a grudge for half her life because a ten-year-old spilled a secret." Emma shot back dryly.

"Swan, if you won't listen to Regina, perhaps you'll listen to me." Hook offered his friend, "You were able to forgive both of us all because you found it in your heart to see past it."

"The difference is that you never held yourself as some paragon of virtue. Neither of you did. You were honest about who you were. My parents weren't. They said they were heroes." Emma retorted.

"Even heroes make mistakes, love." Hook pointed out, "Just take Nicholas, for example. The man's full of secrets and yet you've been able to look past them and accept him for who he is; secrets and all."

"I hate to agree with Captain Guy-liner here, but he's right." Regina nodded bluntly, "My brother keeps a lot of things from you, from all of us. What makes forgiving him so different from forgiving your parents?"

"I can think of several things, love." Hook chuckled causing Emma to blush and Regina to glare at him.

"…Changing the subject." Regina sighed in annoyance at the thought of her little brother's sex life, "Not long ago, your mother gave me some advice. She said I needed to believe I could still earn forgiveness, that I had a chance at grace. I didn't realize it then, but she was talking about herself. Emma, she's been trying to make up for what she did for a long time."

"If you two understand them so well, you forgive them. I can't." Emma retorted, "I have more important things to worry about right now, like saving Henry."

"Hot-tempered and stubborn as a mule," Regina thought bluntly, "She's definitely perfect for Nicholas."

As they pressed on into the woods, the sound of Henry crying for help rang through each of their ears. "Help me!" he cried, "Somebody!"

"It's Henry." Emma gasped in worry, "Quick, it's coming from over there."

"No, it's this way." Hook corrected pointing in another direction.

"Has cannon fire damaged your hearing? It clearly came from over there." Regina snapped as Henry continued to yell.

"Split up. Go!" Emma ordered.

While Emma went in the right direction, Hook and Regina found their trails ending with enchanted conch shells echoing Henry's voice; obviously, it was meant to lead them away from Emma. When Henry found himself at the edge of a cliff after being chased down by Pongo, Cruella finally caught up and pointed her gun at him.

"You shouldn't have run." she snarled as Emma caught up.

"Henry!"

"Mom!" he exclaimed as Cruella grabbed him and pressed her gun to his head.

"Let him go!" Emma demanded.

"I'm afraid not." Cruella denied hotly, "Come any closer, and he dies."

As this was going on, Nicholas and the Charmings made it to Gold's cabin where they found Isaac with a wood poker in his hands ready to defend himself.

"Oh!" he exclaimed in fear as they barged in, "Don't come any closer! Stay back!"

"We're not gonna hurt you." David eased.

"We just want some information." Snow added.

"Unh-unh. I want some guarantees, because if I tell you everything, you just might kill the messenger." Isaac demanded.

"You're safe. Trust us." Snow assured.

"Trust you?" he asked baffled, "I've seen what you'll do to protect your daughter."

As soon as he said this, he pushed the wrong button on David and caused him to lash out in anger as he slammed him against the wall with his arm against his throat.

"Ow! Hey! You said you wouldn't-"

"What have you done with Emma?" David asked, "Tell me, or else I'll let the alchemist have his way with you."

"W-what does want to do to me?" Isaac asked fearfully as Nicholas flicked his right index finger out like a doctor would for a prostate exam and covered it with his shield making it a razor sharp claw again.

"Okay, okay! I'll talk!" he cried in fear, "I was just trying to protect the world from Cruella. I had no idea Gold would use her like this. Even I couldn't see the end to the story."

"What are you talking about?" Nicholas asked, "How does the damn story end?!"

"With the Savior…turning dark." Isaac whispered as he trembled. When David let him go, he pulled out a small piece of paper from his belt and handed it to the prince.

"What is that?" Snow asked.

"Something I wrote. The truth." he replied.

"Cruella De Vil can no longer take away the life of another." David read aloud.

"Do you see now?" Isaac asked, "Henry's in no danger."

"Cruella can't kill anyone." Snow said, "She's defenseless."

"But Emma doesn't know." Nicholas pointed out, "Which means Gold wants her to kill her."

"We have to stop this." Snow said as they ran out and began to search for the blonde. Back with the Savior, she stared down the woman holding her son at gun point.

"One small dead Author. That's all I asked. Simple revenge, and you utterly failed." Cruella spat as she shook with rage.

"Put the gun down, Cruella." Emma ordered.

"Mom." Henry pleaded.

"It's gonna be okay, Henry." she soothed.

"I'll do it, Savior. Believe me, I will." Cruella lied as Emma raised her glowing hands, "Put your hands down, Savior. We both know you're bluffing."

"That's my son." Emma argued as she prepared herself for what was coming.

"And you're a hero, and heroes don't kill." Cruella taunted before she was proven wrong.

In a blast of magic, Emma blasted Cruella over the edge while Henry was sent to his knees. She could hear the breaking of bones only a second after the yelling faded but she didn't pay attention; all she cared about was making sure her son was alright.

"Henry?" she asked as she held him close.

"Mom." he exhaled as the others joined them.

"Emma." Snow whispered when she couldn't see Cruella. Nicholas went over to check on his lover and girlfriend and gave them both a tight hug. As he did, he looked down and saw Cruella's broken corpse on the ledge three stories down.

 _ **You'll soon realize, you'll see her lifeless eyes as her body falls onto a rock~**_

 _ **That psychotic bitch**_

 _ **Made puppies twitch**_

 _ **Her human decency had a broken switch**_

 _ **The only villain who couldn't**_

 _ **Kill!**_

 _ **Poor Cruella, Cruella De Vill~**_


	47. Lily

**Like I said in the last one, two chapters in one day. Enjoy the rest!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, or FMAB.**

The day after Cruella's death, the group of "heroes" met up at Granny's to discuss what they were going to do next now that they were down another enemy. Emma, on one hand, had a different thought in mind than some of the others; namely her parents.

"I'm going after Gold." she informed, "He made this happen. He needs to answer for it."

"Careful." Nicholas warned, "Don't go off half-cocked."

"Nicholas is right. He wants you angry." David reminded.

"Yeah, well, I am angry. That doesn't mean he's gonna get what he's after." Emma snapped, "Do I wish I could change what I did to Cruella? Yes. But that's regret, not darkness. I think we've _all_ done things we regret. Right now, we need to focus on one thing, how to keep Gold and the Author from causing any more damage."

"I might be able to help with that." Maleficent said as she entered the diner, "It now appears we have a common foe; Rumplestiltskin."

"He resurrected you." David reminded finding this news surprising.

"To help himself, not me. Cruella's death only confirmed that." she replied.

"So you want to turn on him before he turns on you. How original." Nicholas said with a fake smirk.

"I knew Gold couldn't keep the dragon on her leash for long." Regina smirked, clearly impressed by her old idol.

"What do you want?" Snow asked coldly with a glare.

"Nothing from _you._ " Maleficent replied, "But your daughter, I hear, has a talent for finding people."

"Yeah, I do. Who do you want found?" Emma asked.

"My daughter." she replied surprising everyone.

"She's alive?" Snow whispered.

"Yes. She survived the journey to this land, the journey you sent her on." Maleficent nodded causing the couple to feel guilty again, "You want to prevent Rumplestiltskin from achieving whatever he wants. What better way than leaving this town and helping me?"

"I'm not running away from Gold." Emma said bravely.

"It's not running from him. It's hindering him." Maleficent corrected making Emma see her point.

"What do you know about her?" Emma asked.

"Just what the Dark One showed me, that she was banished to this world thirty years ago to a place called Minnesota, where she was adopted by a couple. They named her Lilith."

"No." Emma whispered in shock.

"Emma?" Nicholas asked when he saw her expression, "What is it?"

But she said nothing. All she did was storm out in a hurry leaving everyone confused and concerned. Surprisingly, it was Regina who followed her and found out what was wrong. Apparently, Maleficent's daughter was the same Lilith, or Lily, that Emma met and befriended as a child. So with a chance to kill two birds with one stone, Regina offered to go with Emma in search of Lily while also heading over to New York to rescue Robin from Zelena. Once that was settled, the two women got everything ready and said their goodbyes; as they did, Nicholas pulled up in his car waiting on them.

"So, whose car are we taking. I say mine and that I drive." he said as he got out.

"What are you talking about? You're not coming with us." Regina replied.

"Yeah, I am." he corrected.

"Nicholas, hun, no offense, but this is something I need to take care of. Regina's only coming because of Robin and Zelena." Emma informed.

"Right, which is why I'm coming." he nodded, "Need I remind you that Zelena is my sister, too? And that I'm your boyfriend so naturally, you're stuck with me whenever something dangerous is going on. And let's not forget that out of everyone in this town, I am, literally, the only one who can retain his powers pas the town line. Besides, if you leave me here with your parents, I'll go insane. So for the sake of saving time, which we have little of, what's say we just all hop in my car and get this show on the road, eh?"

Emma was about to further protest, but Regina stopped her. "Take it from someone whose dealt with him longer, there's no stopping him when he makes a decision."

"I'm beginning to see that stubbornness is a family trait." Emma sighed.

"So is having a violent nature, holding grudges and a temper hotter than the flames of hell. All of which we're gonna see when we deal with Zelena." Nicholas pointed out bluntly as they got in his car, "Find anything on this Lily girl?"

"Yeah, one of my contacts gave me an address. But it's five years old." Emma replied as she read the message only to be further shocked.

"Emma, what is it?" Regina asked.

"This is in Lowell, Massachusetts, which is less than thirty miles outside of Boston, which is where I lived five years ago." Emma replied, "Lily and I grew up in Minnesota, separated as kids, and ended up living less than an hour apart as adults?"

"Like I said, fate's a bitch." Regina reminded, "You're connected. It's been pushing you together."

"It may have been pushing us together as kids, but last time I saw her, I'm the one who pushed her away." Emma sighed.

"What exactly happened between you two?" Nicholas asked as he started the car, but once again, Emma didn't say anything. When they got to the outskirts of town towards the line, he began to speed the car up; fast.

"Nicholas?" Emma asked growing worried as a crazy look was on his face.

"Nicholas?" Regina asked as he went faster, "Do you think you could slow down?"

"Nope." he grinned wildly.

"Babe, you're going 95 in a 55-mile lane, slow down!" Emma exclaimed.

"I can't." he replied.

"Why not?!" Regina asked as she clutched the handle like her life depended on it.

"It's just like the song goes, sis." he smirked.

"What song?!" she cried.

"Oh, my God!" Emma sighed loudly.

" _I can't drive 55!_ " Nicholas sang before laughed like a maniac and driving even faster down the road, "Lowes, Massachusetts, here we come!"

"It's Lowell! Lowell, Massachusetts!" Emma shouted.

"Whatever!" he laughed. After a very, very quick drive to their destination, the two ladies stumbled out of the car and waited for their stomachs to catch up with them.

"You," Regina sighed as she glared at her smirking brother while resisting the urge to throw up, "You are never driving, again."

"Ah, lighten up, sis. We're here, aren't we?" he asked as he pointed at the rundown apartment building. Once inside, they all stared at the horrible condition of the place in disgust.

"Why did I go through the trouble of creating Storybrooke when I could have cursed everyone to live here?" Regina asked in disgust while Emma knocked on one of the doors.

"Yeah?" an old fat guy asked from another door.

"Oh. Sorry to disturb you." Emma apologized, "We're just looking for Lilith Page. Is she around?"

"No, she ain't around." he rudely replied, "Not for years."

"You know where she moved?" she asked.

"Lady, she ain't moving nowhere. She's dead." he informed bluntly.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Car wreck a couple years back. Pretty sure she was drunk. Not that anyone missed her. I mean, she was a weird one. Kept to herself. 'Course, she had one of those personalities that you wanted to stay far away from. A real loser."

"She was my friend!" Emma shouted as she grabbed the slob's collar and slammed him against the wall with her hand around his throat.

"Emma, stop!" Regina yelled as she and her brother stopped her.

"Em, it's not worth it." Nicholas coached as she finally dropped the man, "You okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm absolutely fine." she lied as she left the building. On the drive back, with Nicholas driving a bit more sanely, Regina finally broke the awkward silence.

"You want to talk about what happened back there?" she asked.

"Nope." Emma instantly replied.

"You nearly put that guy through a wall." Nicholas reminded.

"Look, I know what you two are thinking, but what happened back there wasn't me turning dark. It was mourning a friend. Can you understand that?" Emma asked.

"More than you know." Nicholas thought sadly.

"Emma, you know you're not responsible for what happened to her." Regina reminded.

"You sure?" she snapped, "You heard what that guy said. Her life wasn't pretty. It was dark. That darkness was meant for me."

"Well, to be honest, Em," Nicholas said looking at her in his mirror instead of the road, "He wasn't exactly in better shape."

"Nicholas!" Regina shouted when she saw a wolf in the road. He looked and stepped on the break while steering off to the side.

"You guys okay?" he asked as they got out.

"This has happened before." Emma said, "The wolf in the road and an accident the first time I tried to leave Storybrooke."

"Stop overthinking." Regina lectured, "It's not fate. It's just a flat. Brother dear, if you please?"

"Look, I can fix the tire, but getting air into is another issue." he replied as he mended it while Emma stared at where the wolf ran off to.

"You're telling me, that while you can create a fiery inferno with a snap of your fingers, transform into a giant green monster, rebuild the entire world as we know it and heal any wound you receive instantly, you are incapable of filling a tire with air?" Regina asked bluntly.

"I'm an alchemist, not _Tim the Tool Man Taylor_." he retorted, "I can't do everything with alchemy. I'd probably pop the tire and ruin my hubcaps."

"There's a gas station down the road." Emma informed the bickering siblings, "A diner down there, too."

"Alright," Nicholas sighed, "Sis and I'll get a new tire. You mind grabbing us some coffee?"

"Sure." she nodded. After the siblings purchased the new tire and payed for the tow truck, they joined Emma inside the diner who once again, looked shocked.

"What's wrong? See another wolf?" Nicholas teased.

"It's…it's her." Emma said.

"Who? Who's her?" Regina asked.

"That waitress outside," Emma said pointing to the one who left as they walked in, "That's Lily."

"I thought she was dead?" Nicholas asked as they looked out the window at her.

"I guess she never stopped running." Emma shrugged.

"Huh." Regina said, "There's not much of a resemblance between her and Mal; none that I can see, at least. How do you know it's her?"

"Her birthmark." Emma replied, "She has the same star birthmark on her wrist that Lily showed me when we were kids."

"Well," Nicholas said in surprise, "This turned out to be easier than I thought. What now?"

"I-I guess I should go talk to her." Emma said still surprised as she got up and headed outside. After her confrontation with her old friend, Emma watched as Lily greeted a cute little girl that came off a school bus.

"So it was her." Regina said as she joined her friend, "Well, Emma, looks like you didn't ruin her life after all. Out of curiosity, what did she tell you?"

"That she hadn't thought of me in years, that she's got a daughter and a loving husband and that she's happy." Emma replied, "Where's Nicholas?"

"Getting a refill. Apparently, he enjoys cheap, stale coffee." Regina replied as they watched Lily and her daughter head towards the diner while Nicholas came out. As soon as he did, they watched as Lily let her daughter run along while she said a few words to Nicholas and tried to kiss him only to see him back off and look at her like she was crazy.

"Oh, hell no." Emma growled, "Lily!"

"E-Emma?" she stammered, "What is it? I was just saying hi to my husband."

"Your husband my ass, that's my boyfriend!" she exclaimed hotly.

"Really?" Lily asked before checking Nicholas out, "Damn."

"Why is it that every woman who looks at you instantly wants to jump on you?" Regina asked her flustered brother.

"I don't know!" Nicholas exclaimed in embarrassment. Next thing anyone knew, Lily smacked Nicholas's coffee out of his hand towards Emma causing them to back away and gave her the chance to run.

"Hey!" Emma shouted as she ran after her old friend. Unfortunately, she managed to give them the slip bringing them back to square one.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Regina commented. After Lily ran off, Emma went inside the diner and swiped her time card which gave her an address. After a short drive, they made it to an old mobile home with an impala parked in front. Thankfully, the door was unlocked so they were able to get in.

"No kid stuff." Emma observed, "At least we know that was a lie, too."

"Well, if you want me to admit you were right, well, you were right." Regina admitted as they searched the place.

"Can't blame her for running off. I was about to tell her she was Maleficent's daughter." Emma joked.

"Yeah, that might have been tough to swallow." Regina agreed.

"Yeah, well, you know how long it took for me to believe, and that was in Storybrooke. For her, it's not gonna be simple." Emma pointed out.

"It might be simpler than you think, Emma. Look." Nicholas said as he stared at a wall in another room. On it were multiple illustrations of the people Emma knew in Storybrooke, specifically her parents, Regina, Nicholas, and several others along with a map covered with possible locations for Storybrooke; all of which was connected in red tape.

"Son of a…" Emma carried as she gazed upon the wall, "She knew."

"And she was looking for you." Regina added as she pointed at a picture of a younger Emma.

"No. My parents." she corrected when she spotted their illustrations with red Xs covering them.

"I think she was after all of us." Nicholas added as he looked at his illustration and Regina's, "Wait, is that what people think I look like?"

"Nicholas, now's not the time." Regina scolded.

"Easy for you to say." he retorted as he grabbed his picture, "Look at this. I look like the guy who played Slughorn in _The Half-Blood Prince_."

"She knew everything." Emma repeated, "She wants revenge."

Just then, they all heard the sound of a car engine start outside letting them know that Lily was waiting for them.

"Really?!" Emma growled as they ran out and saw Lily drive away in Nicholas' BMW.

"Emma, the Apprentice's scroll, it was in my bag in the car!" Regina alerted.

"She wanted a way into Storybrooke. Now she's got one." Emma spat as she grabbed a nearby wrench.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked.

"That girl destroyed my life with one family. I'm not letting her do it again." she declared as she smashed the Impala's window. After hotwiring it, they sped off after her.

"She's doing it again, guys." Emma growled as they chased Lily, "Every time I let Lily in, she rips apart my life. Now she's going after my parents. I have to stop her."

"You will, but you can't go in with a head of steam. You'll end up doing something you regret." Regina coached.

"Really?" Emma snapped, "Tell me, Your Majesty, what are your plans for Zelena? A nice chat over tea?"

"That's different." Regina retorted.

"How?" Emma asked, "If Zelena lays a hand on Robin Hood, you'll destroy her, right? Right. So I'll do the same thing to Lily."

"Careful, Emma. You're starting to sound like-" Nicholas began.

"Like what? A villain?" Emma interrupted, "This is the real world, guys. There are no heroes and villains, just real people with real problems. So if you're gonna try to stop me, you two can find your own way back to New York."

"There she is." Nicholas alerted as they caught up to the BMW. When Emma got ahead of her, she swerved the Impala in front of the BMW causing Lily to stop and exit the car.

"Hey!" Emma said as she caught up to Maleficent's daughter, "Hey! You know. You know everything. Did you know when we were kids?"

"Of course not." Lily snapped.

"But now?" she asked.

"Yeah. I learned it all." Lily nodded.

"How?" Emma asked.

"Does it really matter?" she asked, "It doesn't change anything. You screwed me over before we were even born."

"I had no more say in what happened than you did." Emma retorted.

"But your parents did. And the minute I get to Storybrooke-"

"You lay a hand on them, I end you!" Emma roared as she shoved Lily to the ground.

"Emma, stop!" Nicholas yelled, but he was ignored.

"Yeah?" Lily asked as she got up, "And how you gonna do that without your magic, Savior?"

As she got up, she slugged Emma across the face which caused a boom of thunder and the Impala's headlights to shatter.

"Your parents are monsters, Emma. They banished me and threw you in a wardrobe. And now here you are, ready to die for them, because you're so perfect. The Savior. Well, they deserved to be punished. And there's only one way to stop me, and you know it." Lily threatened as she tried to fight Emma again only to find herself on the ground with a gun pointed at her, "Of course it ends this way. This just makes too much sense."

"I'm just trying to stop you from doing something you'll regret." Emma defended.

"You can't. Thanks to you, I'm hardwired for bad decisions." Lily argued, "So come on. Just put me out of my misery. You know the truth. We both know my life isn't worth saving. And if you let me go, I will destroy everything. It's what I do. So come on; be the hero. End this right here before it even starts."

"Swan." Regina said trying to snap her friend out of it.

"Put the gun down." Nicholas ordered with a hard glare.

"If you pull that trigger, you will be the one who ruins your life this time. And Henry's, and Nicholas', and your parents' and everyone else's." Regina warned.

"I have to protect them." Emma countered.

"Then lower the gun." Nicholas ordered, "Your parents need a hero, not a murderer like us."

"I'm already like you." she reminded as the previous day replayed in her head.

"Cruella made her choice and so did you. But if you do this, you will wrong both Lily and Maleficent far worse than your parents did. Killing someone in order to protect another is one thing, but killing someone out of hatred isn't so easy to come back from. Regina and I know that better than anyone. You kill her, and you do exactly what Gold wants you to do." Nicholas warned.

"Emma. You're better than this." Regina said. After a moment of hesitation, Emma hardened her heart and lowered the gun. Rising to her feet, Lily gave her old friend an emotionless look before walking over to take a seat on some nearby logs. While they did that, Regina answered a call from Maleficent.

"Bad news from home." she alerted, "I just lost my leverage over Gold. We need to get to Robin Hood, now."

"Oh, this is not gonna end well, I just know it." Nicholas muttered as he hopped into the BMW with Regina while Emma and Lily rode in the Impala. It took them until later that evening, but they reached Neal's old apartment where Robin was staying.

"Robin?" Regina called as she knocked on the door, "Robin, open up!"

When he opened the door, Robin looked at the people in front of him with wide eyes and an opened mouth. "Regina?" he asked before pulling her into a hug, "W-what are you doing here?"

"I missed you." Regina whispered.

"And I you." he replied, "What's going on? W-why are you and Nicholas here?"

"Unfortunately, old friend, it's not for good reasons." Nicholas replied as Robin's eyes widened.

"…Is it ti-"

"No." Nicholas cut off, "But this may involve it. Where's Marian?"

"She's at the store. Why?" Robin asked.

"Good. Then there's time." Regine exhaled, "But we have to act fast."

"Wh-what's this about?" he asked.

"Marian. We have to leave before she gets back. She is not who she says she is." Regina warned.

"What?" Robin asked.

"She's our sister, Zelena." Nicholas informed.

"The Wicked Witch?" he asked, "But she's dead. We all saw that."

"Somehow she tricked us and went back in time." Regina explained, "Robin, she went back, and she killed Marian. She took her place to get back at me."

"No." he denied, "This is madness."

"Robin?" Marian asked as she walked with bags in her hands, "What's going on? And what is she doing here?"

"It's over, Zelena." Nicholas said as he hardened his shield on his arm, "We told him everything. Drop the act."

"What's he talking about?" Marian asked as she went to Robin's side, "And who's Zelena?"

"Nicholas, Regina, you're scaring Marian." Robin pleaded.

"Good." Regina spat, "Where's the magic? You must've brought something to make this glamour work. Where is it, Zelena? Show me, or will rip you apart until I find it!"

"Regina, that's enough!" Robin shouted, "Look, I know that this is hard, for all of us. But this is the new reality. I'm with her. I'm with Marian."

"Actually, not exactly." Marian said before taking on her true appearance as Zelena causing Robin to stumble back, "Hello, dear husband."

"No." Robin denied.

"Come on, Robin. We have to get you and Roland out of here." Regina said only to see Robin looked both conflicted and angry, "Robin. Get Roland and let's go."

"I think he still wants to stay." Zelena grinned.

"Loxley, get your head out of your ass, grab your son and let's go." Nicholas barked letting his League side show a little.

"I can't." Robin replied.

"Yes, you can." Regina assured, "Come on. Let's go."

"I'm sorry." he apologized, "I can't leave her here."

"What?!" the siblings asked.

"Do you want to tell them? Or should I?" Zelena asked tauntingly.

"Tell us what?" Regina asked hotly, "Robin?"

"…She's pregnant." Robin confessed.

"Oh, no." Nicholas thought as he looked at his two sisters, "Oh, no, no, no."

 **Human Sacrifices**

 **1\. Nicholas Flamel**

 **2\. Rumplestiltskin**

 **3\. The Apprentice**

 **4\. Maleficent**

 **5\. Zelena**


	48. Operation Mongoose Pt 1

**Okay, everybody, the chapter many of you have been waiting for! I'll have the next one ready tomorrow, but until then, enjoy this one. Oh, and as of now, it won't be until next week (hopefully) that I start my new job; wish me luck!**

 **But in any case, like I said, and always do, enjoy this exciting chapter and let me know what you think afterwards.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen, her father and her brother rode through the woods to their castle. As they did, Her Majesty saw something that made her blood boil so much, she wanted to intervene.

"Stop the carriage." she ordered. When they got out, they found a small group of people gathered for a small wedding in front of the palace; or rather, far beyond the palace but still within the royal borders.

"Good day, citizens." she greeted with a fake smile, "Enjoying the meadow?"

"Indeed. It seemed perfect for our wedding ceremony." the preacher said kindly.

"It is lovely." Regina agreed, "But see, the thing is, these are part of the royal lands, and I don't recall giving you permission to marry here."

"We didn't know." the groom explained nervously before Regina tore his heart out and created a panic.

"Your Majesty," Henry said gently to his daughter, "Could you be overreacting because of what day it is?"

"Don't talk to me about this day, Daddy." she warned.

"But you need the support of your citizens, Your Majesty." Flamel added, "To alienate them would be shortsighted and weak."

"I'm not weak, brother!" she screamed before calming herself and spoke to the groom, "I was going to spare you, but some people just made me angry."

With a strong clench of her fist, Regina rendered the heart to dust like she had done so many times before and watched as the man fell dead with everyone surrounding him in distraught.

"Next time there's a wedding, book the church." she suggested darkly to the preacher as she stormed off to the carriage. As her father and brother were about to climb in with her, she stopped them. "Make your way home. I have someplace to be."

"Father, she's getting worse by the day." Flamel said sadly.

"I know, son." Henry sighed, "But we just need to hope that one day, she will see the error of her ways."

"Hope?" Flamel asked, "Hope isn't going to stop her from tearing out people's hearts; if anything, it'll make her want to do that more. Father, she is making more and more people despise her and want to kill her with each passing moment. It won't be long before someone takes action against her."

As he said this, he caught a whiff of a familiar scent nearby, one Henry was not allowed to know the source of. "Father, head home; now."

Knowing better than to argue with either of his children when serious, Henry walked home as fast as he could while Flamel headed into the woods. Once he made it to the nearest clearing, he saw a familiar face widdle a branch with a hunting knife while sitting on a fallen tree.

"Hey, boss." Flamel greeted unhappily.

"Flamel." Quartermain sighed, "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

"I take it that it involves my sister?" he asked knowing the answer.

"Correct." Quartermain nodded as he put away his knife and threw the branch like a dart and watched it imbed itself deep within a tree, "Walk with me."

"Boss, I know Regina is getting out of hand, but I can handle her." Flamel assured as they walked through the woods.

"I can see that." Quartermain said sarcastically.

"Okay, she's-look, what is, is that-"

"What it is, is that the Director, and a large majority of other agents, are very unhappy with your sister's methods in ruling her kingdom and the way she treats her subjects." Quartermain cut off, "Tell me, when was the last time you saw her murder someone?"

"…Not five minutes ago." Flamel muttered.

"Exactly." he replied, "You can't keep protecting her from us forever."

"I'll call in every favor and make as many deals and promises it takes in order to keep Regina safe from the League, boss." Flamel snapped, "I'm not going to let her become another target. And in case you've forgotten, there are a lot of members in the League that have done far worse than Regina has; some of us in our branch in particular."

"True." Quartermain agreed, "But the more people she kills, the more attention your sister draws to herself and the more League agents who want to kill her."

"What do you want me to do? I can't warn her that there's a secret organization out there that I've secretly been a part of filled with people who want to, and are very much capable of killing her."

"I want you to do your damn job!" Quartermain barked as they came to a stop, "Now I understand that she's your family, I do. But unless you stop acting like your father and do nothing but coddle her before and after she kills someone, the situation will only get worse!"

"So what? The Director's giving me a warning, now?" Flamel asked.

"No, dammit, I am!" he snapped, "But you best be ready for when he does, because he will. And when that time comes, your sister will face judgement for her crimes against this realm."

And with that, Allan Quartermain disappeared before Flamel's eyes leaving him to his thoughts and heavy heart.

 **OUaT**

Once everyone returned to Storybrooke, things became a little bumpy. First, Regina locked Zelena up in the mental ward at the hospital and managed to snatch the Author away from a weakening Rumplestiltskin. As that happened, Emma's parents helped Maleficent look for Lily after she ditched her mother when she learned she didn't want to waste time with revenge against the Charmings; and thanks to Regina, who took some of Lily's blood to power the ink, the young woman turned into a dragon and nearly killed Snow. Thankfully, she was alright and Emma, who found her bleeding against a rock, finally decided to let go of her anger and forgive her parents before she risked losing them again.

Everything seemed to be going in the heroes' direction. That is until Isaac decided to go back to Gold's side and agreed to write for him the stories he had in mind for each and every character in Storybrooke. After gathering everyone at the mansion, Regina and the others searched through every single book they could find as they expected whatever Isaac was writing to appear in at least one of them. Nicholas and Robin were the only ones who didn't bother to look on account of being the only ones who could actually read them.

"Whatever the Author is writing, it's not appearing in any of these books." Regina sighed as she tossed aside one of the books.

"Easy." Robin soothed, "This is not your fault."

"Even so, tomorrow, thanks to Gold and the Author, I can wake up a talking frog."

"At least you'll wake up." Hook said dryly as he and Ariel looked through more books, "I don't doubt whatever the Dark One has in store for me is a far worse fate."

"You think you've got it bad?" Nicholas asked looking scared, "Imagine what's he gonna do to me. I'm the one who's kicked his ass almost ten times and he blames me for what happened to his son. It's obvious what my story's gonna be when their all finished. He's gonna make me a slave again!"

"No one is going to put you through that again, Nicholas." Regina assured her frightened brother as Emma tried to soothe him.

"There's no use speculating what he wants." David said hoping to change the subject, "If we can't find anything here, we might as well look someplace else."

"We don't need to." Robin informed, "Nicholas and I contacted someone we know who can help; the Apprentice."

"How do you know him?" Snow asked.

"We've done business before." Nicholas replied, "He'll help us. And after we've settled things with the Author and Gold, I'll tell you all about it, and everything else."

"Nicholas, are you sure?" Robin asked as everyone looked at the alchemist.

"If we wait any longer, things will only get more complicated." he replied, "Everyone's gathered. All that's left is to get everything ready."

"Ready for what?" Emma asked as the Apprentice entered the room.

"That, my dear, will have to wait." he said, "Isaac has abused his power for too long. He and the Dark One must be dealt with first. The time has come to set things right."

"How?" Regina asked.

"By putting the Author back where he can't harm anyone; in the book. I will need the page with the painted door and the key. We shall return him to his prison. And this time, I would wager, none of you will set him free again." he said, "Where is the page?"

"It's back at the loft." Henry replied.

"Mom, Dad, Nicholas, watch Henry." Emma ordered, "If Gold's smart, he'll go after the page, too."

While everyone split up to take care of their assignments, in Gold's shop, Isaac said two simple words that would change everything everyone knew in a matter of both seconds and years. "The End." In an indescribable magical event, the entire town of Storybrooke was turned into a complete ghost town with only one single person in it; Henry.

"Grandma?" he called as he searched for everyone in the loft, "Grandpa! Uncle?!"

But no one was there, not even his baby uncle. He did manage to find the page and key, but both were useless to him seeing as like everyone else, the Author was nowhere to be found. With no other option, he took his mother's car and decided to drive to wherever he could find people that could help him. When he tried his luck at a nearby diner, he found nothing. Nothing except a book titled "Heroes and Villains."

But it wasn't just the title that caught his eye, or the interesting cover illustration. What made Henry interested in it so much was the name of the author, Isaac Heller. Trusting his gut, he grabbed the copy, turned it over and saw the face of the very man he had been searching for the last two months; the Author. With a little help from the internet, he found out that his foe was closer than he thought, in New York for a book signing.

"Thank you! Thank you!" he said over the massive crowd's cheering, "Please, I-I-I'm not worthy. You know? Someone once told me, I don't tell stories people want. But I say, write what you're passionate about. That's what matters most. 'Heroes and Villains' is close to my heart. It's been a passion project for longer than you would believe. I wrote it because I think folks are sick of heroes getting everything in these classic fairytales. Hence, the radically different endings for Snow White, Prince Charming, and all the rest. Something different for a modern audience. What happens when villains win the day? But an even better question, what happens when new characters enter the stories we think we know?"

After his speech, at the signing table, Henry confronted Isaac with the page in front of him. "What are you doing here?" he asked nervously.

"What did you do to my family?" Henry demanded, "Where are they?"

"I, uh, I have no idea what you're talking about." Isaac lied.

"Unh-unh, you're lying. Now you know what this does," Henry threatened as he showed the key, "So you either give me some answers or I open this door and you get a whole new ending."

Making the obvious choice, Isaac led Henry to a secure location away from the public. "Okay, you have my undivided attention."

"Where's my family?" Henry asked again.

"You really want to know? Look around you." he said indicating to the copies of his book, "They're all right here in my best-selling book."

"What does that mean? Are they still alive?" Henry asked holding up the page and key.

"Easy with the key, cowboy. Your family is fine. If you want to get technical, they're in here." Isaac informed as he pulled out the original copy of Heroes and Villains, "The original copy of my book, the one I always wanted to write. They all live in here now in kind of an alternate reality."

"You made them miserable." Henry hissed.

"I see that you've read some of my book. Good. Good. Then you know that everyone got the ending they deserve. Except Emma, of course. You won't find her in the book. There was no room for a Savior in my world. I hate to toot my own horn, though, but I am especially proud of what I did with your uncle. And before you ask, no, I did not make him a slave again. I may have done business with the Dark One, but even I wouldn't go so low as to make a man a slave. After all, I'm Jewish."

"What did you do to him?" Henry asked.

"Well, he was a tricky one to write about. With as many secrets as he has, or rather had, his character was hard to develop. In the end, I had no other choice but to make him more of a minor, supporting character." Isaac explained.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"Hmph. It means he's not… _Extraordinary_ anymore." Isaac smirked only to see the boy's confused face, "Oh. He never told any of you, did he?"

"Tell us what?" Henry snapped.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter now, does it? Not while he and the others are all locked up tight within the pages of my masterpiece." Isaac said mysteriously.

"Bring them back, or I use this." he threatened with the page.

"I can't." Isaac replied, "I don't have the power. The cardinal rule of the Authors is, 'don't write your own happy ending.' And as you can see, I broke that rule. So this, it's just a pen now. And me? Well, I'm nothing more than a best-selling writer with legions of fans and a penthouse over Central Park."

"If you can't get them out, then give me the book and I will." Henry demanded as he tried to take the original copy.

"You?" Isaac scoffed as he took it back and laughed, "Do you know why you're still out here, kid? Because you're not from a magical world. So take it from me. You will never be a knight in shining armor. You're just a poor, innocent child who needs saving. So why don't you put the key away and, uh, stick to the role you're best at?"

But as soon as he started to walk away, Henry tackled the arrogant writer and snatched the book away.

"Now what? You're gonna tear up the book?" he asked as Henry flipped through the pages. When he found one that only had an illustration, he used the key to unlock it. "Wait! Don't be stupid!"

With a flash of yellow light, the two of them were sucked into the pages and spat out into the fake world created by the former Author.

"Feel like a read hero now?" Isaac asked as Henry took in the replica of his family's home world, "Don't get used to it."

Without any warning, he stuck the boy with a wooden shield and knocked him out. When Henry came to, he realized he was tied to a tipped over cart. "So now we're both trapped in the book. Congratulations." Isaac said sarcastically, "Let me tell you about this place. It's cold, there's no running water, and things are always trying to kill you."

"Let me go!" Henry grunted.

"Not a chance. This book we're in, it's worked out quite nicely for me. I don't need you running around changing things. This is my story. And no hero gets a happy ending."

"Why?" he asked, "Would that somehow destroy the book? That's what you're afraid of. Isn't it?"

"Doesn't matter. You brought us into the final chapter."

"How do you know?"

"I know because I wrote it. And I know how it ends, with the loud tolling of bells at sunset. When you hear that sound, it'll mean we've reached the last page. The book will end, and everything will remain exactly how I wrote it." Isaac explained before an ogre suddenly appeared with a terrifying roar, "There we are. Right on time."

"What is that?" Henry asked.

"Oh, the inciting incident of this chapter, an ogre attack." he smirked, "And you know what they say, you don't have to be faster than the ogre. You just have to be faster than the next guy."

"Wait!" Henry yelled as the ogre roared in his face. When all hope seemed lost, a lone knight in gold armor on a white stallion rode up behind the cart and stopped the ogre with a blast of light magic.

"The monster is dead!" a villager cheered as they all came out of hiding, "The ogre slayer saved us! Thank you. If there's anything my family and I can do to repay you…"

"Good deeds," the knight said as he lifted his helm to reveal the face of Rumplestiltskin, "Have their own reward. This comes with no price."

With a wave of his hand, Henry watched as his grandfather released him of his bonds. "Are you alright, boy?" he asked kindly and nobly, "What's your name?"

"Uh, Henry." he stuttered.

"I am Rumplestiltskin, a knight at your service. Do you have any family around here?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. I think so. Yeah." he replied.

"Then I suggest you run home for your supper, Henry, because I have another village to save." Rumple smirked before riding off like the gallant hero he now was. After wrapping his mind around what he just saw, Henry decided to look for his family, and as luck would have it, two of them were nearby in the woods. With the help of the copy he had, he maneuvered his way past a series of traps before coming to a hollow log that was meant to be "home."

"Hello?" he called, "Is anyone here?"

"Turn around slowly." a woman's voice threatened as he felt something long and harp press against the back of his neck. When he turned around, Henry saw the two people he was looking for, his mother, Regina dressed in the same clothes Snow actually wore as a bandit with an arrow aimed at him. And his uncle dressed in black leather boots, pants, and a matching vest underneath a long, crimson red coat with a hood with white gloves as his sword was pointed at him.

"Who are you?" Regina asked.

"My name's Henry. I'm your son and his nephew." he greeted.

"…Bull shit." his uncle bluntly denied as he lowered his sword. Seeing that the boy was no threat, the siblings allowed him into their home and gave him something hot to eat. Given the chance, Henry tried to explain everything only to see the people who raised him shrug him off.

"But I'm telling you-"

"That we're all trapped in a book?" Regina asked.

"Yeah." he nodded only to see her scoff while his uncle watched them as he ate his soup.

"And we're supposed to live in a place called Maine? Where we became you're adopted mother and uncle after someone named Emma gave you up? And that I'm in love with her?" he asked.

"Come on, Mom. You and Uncle Nicholas can rem-"

As soon as Henry said that name, his uncle threw a knife from his boot at him and watched as it struck the table between the boy's fingers.

"Don't ever call me that name." he hissed, "My name is _Abba_ , kid. Even think about calling me anything else, and I won't aim so low next time."

"This does make me wonder one thing." Regina said as she looked closely at Henry, got up from her seat, yanked out the knife and held it against his throat, "Who sent you?"

"Mom, please." he begged, "Nobody sent me."

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped.

"He may be working for the queen." Abba suggested.

"No. I'm trying to help you."

"Help us what?" Regina asked.

"Find your happy endings. In my world, we called it Operation Mongoose." Henry explained. It took her a moment, but Regina chuckled lightly and tossed the knife back to her brother.

"That is a very silly name." she laughed.

"Well, it was your idea." he replied.

"Now that I can believe." Abba joked causing his sister to smack him playfully, "He's telling us the truth, though. Or he thinks he is. Must be crazy."

"I'm not, and I can prove it." Henry argued as he pulled out the book, "This is a copy of the book we're trapped in."

"Ha! This," Regina began to say as she read it with Abba reading over her shoulder who looked just as surprised as she did, "This says we're…going to rob a royal tax carriage today to buy passage out of the kingdom."

"How did the book know all that?" Abba asked as Regina slammed it shut, "It can see our future?"

"Something like that." Henry nodded.

"Then neither of us want any part of it." Regina said as she tossed it into the fire pit as Henry went after it only to get a page while the siblings went outside.

"Don't follow us!" Abba said in annoyance, "Whatever world you think you're from, go back there."

"I can't, not until you two find true love." Henry argued.

"Ha! Then you're stuck." Regina laughed, "Never gonna happen for us. Unless Abba tries his luck with another werewolf."

"Don't even joke about that!" he exclaimed, "That ended in all kinds of bad."

"Look, we just need to find my other mom and Robin Hood. Then you'll see." Henry stressed, "If we find them both, or at least one of them and you kiss one of them, we might get out of here. True Love's Kiss, it can fix anything."

"Kid," Abba said while Regina laughed again, "Do you have any idea how weird it sounds when you say that me, you're supposed uncle, is supposed to kiss your mother and that she's his true love? I don't know how it works in…wherever you come from, but I'm not really into the whole _incest_ thing."

"Maybe he's an inbred?" Regina asked under her breath causing Henry to blush.

"Either that or just plain crazy." Abba muttered back, "Besides, if Regina ever did meet Robin Hood, the poor bastard would probably end up with a broken nose."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Henry asked as he continued to follow them.

"He's our competition. Every robbery we plan, he beats us to it." Regina replied bitterly, "He's the reason we're stuck in this kingdom. Why are we even talking to you?"

"Cause we're family." Henry said sincerely.

"Look, kid." Abba said gently, "If you read about us in that book, you know that Regina and I got to go. The queen wants us dead. She thinks I failed her."

"And that I ruined her life." Regina added.

"Did you?" he asked.

"…Yes, we did." Regina nodded in guilt, "So if it's happy endings you're after, look someplace else."

After ditching Henry, the bandit siblings readied themselves for their robbery of the tax carriage. Hidden in the bushes, Regina used her slingshot to knock out the driver while Abba hurried over to unlock the carriage. But when he did and Regina joined him, they found something, or rather, someone besides tax money.

"Snow White." Regina whispered in fear. Dressed in a red, royal dress with an evil look on her face, the alternate Snow stepped out of the carriage with Charming dressed in black ready to do her dark bidding behind them.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked, "Charming, disarm them."

He complied and smacked Abba's sword out of his hand before grabbing Regina's knife. Snow then gently caressed their cheeks even though they knew she'd rather have her hands around their throats.

"I've waited so long for this moment." she said in her soft, evil voice, "Your heads are going to look so lovely in my trophy room."

"Please, Snow," Regina begged, "How many times do we have to say we're sorry?"

"Once more. From your graves." she replied.

"Let her go and take me instead." Abba bargained, "I was the one who killed James the second time. We just wanted to help you."

"Your sister broke a promise." Snow gently reminded, "And you failed to keep yours. Because of her poor, poor judgement, and your incompetence, my true love died _twice_."

With a thrust of her hands, Snow White clenched the siblings' hearts in their chests causing them to gasp in pain and fear. It was then that Charming intervened.

"Your Majesty, before you rip their hearts out, perhaps you should ask them about the boy." he suggested.

"So you do have a brain somewhere in that pretty head." Snow jabbed before releasing her captives, "Where's the boy? Where, is, he?"

"When does this end, Snow?" Regina asked, "This blood feud, when does it stop?"

"When I've killed you both and every one of your followers." she said darkly.

"You lost one happy ending, and we're sorry for that," Abba apologized, "But all this killing will only bring more hatred into your life, and all you'll be left with is a hole in your heart and no hope of ever finding true happiness."

"Neither of you," Snow softly said as she formed a ball of fire in her hand, "Know nothing of my happiness."

"Then you leave us no choice." Abba said before kicking her in the stomach and punching Charming across the face; both strikes, to the alter egos, felt like metal struck them. Just then, an arrow struck the carriage as a man on a horse rode towards them.

Regina grabbed the money in the carriage as the man scooped her onto the horse while Abba freed the carriage horse and rode towards them.

"We had the situation under control." Regina said stubbornly.

"A simple thank you would suffice." the stranger retorted as they rode away. Once they were far enough out of danger, the man led the siblings to the nearest pub.

"I believe my sister already told you, we didn't need rescuing." Abba said as they entered the pub and he ordered them some drinks.

"Believe me, I'm already questioning helping the competition." he scoffed.

"…Robin Hood?" Regina asked as she took a good look at the man.

"Well, I'm not Friar Tuck." he smirked as he held Regina's hand to bandage it from the cut Charming gave her, "Hold still."

"Why?" she asked.

"Cause this may sting a little." he replied as he poured some grog on her hand, "Here. Sit down before you pass out."

While he may have been joking, Regina was still too stubborn to thank the man who helped her and her brother escape. So instead, she slammed a gold coin on the table as they sat down.

"What's this?" Robin asked.

"Your cut." she stiffly replied.

"You still can't say thank you, can you?" he teased as he tightened the bandage.

"Thank you." she said glaring at him as their drinks came.

"So, to new friends and old rivals." Robin said as they clinked their mugs together in a toast. He then noticed Regina stare at him, "What?"

"Just thought you'd be…dirtier." she said causing him to laugh.

"Well, thank you. I'll choose to take that as a compliment." he smirked, "Regina, while we may have never have met, I always admired you and your brother's skills. I'm getting out of this game, and I have a proposition for you both. I'm in search of someone to take my place as leader of the Merry Men."

"We just cheated death and now we're offered a step up in the bandit community. Ain't that a kick in the head?" Abba joked.

"We're flattered, but we can't accept." Regina denied, "This forest isn't the place for either of us anymore."

"Well, that's a shame." Robin said in polite disappointment.

"So, what's driving you out of the business?" Abba asked.

"Have you ever met someone that you would change your entire world for?" Robin asked them, "Someone whose eyes you just knew you were born to gaze into?"

Regina paused for a second as she did just that into Robin's eyes. Abba noticed this and smirked into his mug. "Looks like you do now, sister dear." he thought.

"Because I have." Robin continued, "And that's why I can't be a thief anymore. It wouldn't be fair to my new bride."

"Bride?" Regina asked as Abba choked in his mug.

"Well, she will be when we marry later today." Robin said as a happy redhead in pink practically skipped towards him.

"Hello, darling." she said happily as she pulled him in for a kiss, "So who's this?"

"Regina, Abba, I'd like you to meet my fiancé." Robin said kindly, "This is Zelena."

"Well, so much for that." Abba bluntly thought as he continued to drink.

"I just can't believe I'm finally meeting _the_ Bandit Siblings, Regina and Abba." Zelena said happily as she joined them.

"Thank you, but we should go." Regina said as something new stirred in her heart.

"Oh, w-well, why don't you stay for the ceremony?" Zelena offered sweetly, "I mean, it'll be a simple affair, but we'd love to have you two there, wouldn't we, darling?"

"Of course." Robin nodded, "It would be our honor."

"Oh, uh, we should try to get a head start on Snow White. She's gonna be even more angry after Abba beat her Charming. I'm sure she has the entire black guard on duty." Regina said with an excuse before awkwardly shaking Robin's hand, "Thank you, for saving our lives."

"Congratulations again." Abba said kindly as they left. When they exited the pub, Abba put his hand on his sister's should in sympathy just as Henry showed up again.

"Mom! Uncle!" he said.

"You have to stop calling us that." Regina sighed, "How do you keep following us, anyway?"

"I figured if my plan worked, you'd be in Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood." he replied.

"I hate to break it to you, but Robin's already found his true love. And they're getting married; today." Regina emphasized as she showed him the happy couple through the window before storming off with Abba.

"No, no, no. This is all wrong. That's Zelena, your sister." Henry said as he caught up with them, "Wait. You have to listen to me."

"Oh, we've heard enough." Abba said, "The only sibling either of us has is each other. Regina is my only sister. Our mother abandoned us when Regina was four and I was a baby until I was…captured and sold off as a slave in Xerxes."

"No, your mother abandoned Zelena." Henry stressed, "Yes, you were a slave in Xerxes, but that's where you became the Immortal Alchemist."

"Puh!" Abba scoffed, "Immortal? Please. The only one who's immortal around here is the Light One, Rumplestiltskin. I'm just a regular alchemist, who learned too much after playing God."

"No, you became the Immortal Alchemist when you got your Philosopher's Stone." Henry stressed.

"No one's made a Philosopher's Stone, kid." Abba said unamused, "It's an old alchemist pipe dream. A fantasy, nothing more."

"It isn't." Henry stressed, "It's what allows you to heal instantly. You'd lose a limb, and it'd grow back; I've seen it!"

"Well, then explain to me why it didn't work and why I had to build these." Abba said as he rolled up left pants sleeve and took off his right glove to show Henry a metal hand and leg.

"…What happened to you?" he asked feeling sorry for his uncle.

"I told you." he said bitterly as he put the glove back on and fixed his pants, "I played God."

"Look, we've gotta go." Regina said bringing the attention off of her brother, "And you should, too. Snow White's looking for you."

"Wait. You can't tell me that you didn't feel anything when you met Robin Hood." Henry said which caused Regina to hesitate, "See? That's proof. He's your true love."

"No. It's proof that I'm not the kind of person that gets a happy ending." Regina argued, "The only love in my life is Abba."

"And Regina is the only love in mine." Abba added sadly, "But you gave us the worst thing you can give anyone. Hope. Now, if you don't mind, my sister and I would like to get far enough away so that Regina doesn't have to be reminded of the pain hope brings by Robin and Zelena's wedding bells proclaim their love."

"Wait, did you say wedding bells?" Henry asked.

"Yes, now please leave us be." Regina sighed.

"The bells, from the end of the book. That's what he was talking about. Those bells, this wedding, it's our last chance to stop this from becoming real forever!"

"It already is real." Regina said sadly.

"Not yet." Henry denied vigorously, "We have to stop this wedding."

"Look," Abba sighed, "You seem like a nice boy. And clearly, you believe all this nonsense. But didn't you say we were your adopted family? That you have another mother out there, name, uh, Emma? Who I'm supposedly in love with? If you want help, maybe you should start by finding her."

"I tried. She wasn't in the book. And if she were, believe me, you'd know. She's the most powerful sorceress there is."

"The only sorceress in this land is Snow White." Regina replied in distaste.

"She's more powerful than her." he argued, "She has, uh, special magic. In our world, she was called the Savior."

"…Never heard of her." Regina lied as two looks crossed their faces.

"Mom, Uncle, I know that face. What aren't you telling me?" Henry asked. Regina sighed and gave her explanation.

"There were rumors of a woman who called herself that. The Savior."

"Isaac lied." Henry whispered, "He couldn't write her out of the story. Where can I find her?"

"You can't." Abba replied, "Snow White locked her up years ago. No one has set eyes on her since. The prison she's in is impenetrable."

In the farthest region of the sea, on a small island rested a single tower. In the very top of it, a woman with blonde curls in a dark blue dress struggled in her chains as she tried to break free, screaming hysterically.

 **Juicy stuff, huh? One thing I will admit is that I had forgotten that it was in this episode that the Apprentice was released, so...yeah, I messed that up earlier. Also, the reason why I didn't do "Mother" was because it was difficult for me to include Nicholas in that seeing as it really bounced around the other characters. That being said, I know I included the beginning flashback scene from it, but I have my reasons, which you'll see soon enough.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Until next time!**


	49. Operation Mongoose Pt 2

**Here we go! Last chapter before we get to S5! I won't keep anybody waiting so, yada yada, Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

"Please, you have to help me save her." Henry begged.

"We're not heroes, kid." Regina sighed, "Find someone else to rescue your damsel in distress of a mother."

"Regina," Abba said making her stop in her tracks, "Maybe…we should help him out."

"What?" she asked not believing her ears, "Abba, are you insane?!"

"Look," he said as he took her off to the side to speak in private, "I know the kid is nuts. But he's telling the truth, at least about his mother. Maybe we should help him."

"Are you just suggesting this because you think it's the right thing to do? Or because you think you've got a shot with his mother?" Regina asked skeptically.

"…I'm curious as to what she looks like." he admitted, " _And_ it's the right thing to do. Look we both know what it's like to grow up without a mother, and this kid is on his own with Snow White chasing after him. The whole 'other world' thing might be nonsense, but what if the stuff he said about his mother is true? I was able to save myself back in Xerxes. But he may not be able to save himself. I don't know why, but I just don't like the idea of leaving him to fend for himself like this."

"Sigh…alright." Regina relented, "But I'm staying here."

"What?" he asked.

"If we both go and Snow finds out, we're just gonna back ourselves into a corner at that island." she explained, "But if we split up, I can shake her knights off your tail and give you the chance to get to the island, grab the kid's mother, and get back here so we can leave before Snow mounts us on her wall, dead or alive."

"Okay, that makes more sense." Abba nodded before they faced Henry, "Good news, kid, I'll help you find your mother."

"Really?" he asked in hope before hugging him tightly, "Awesome! Thanks, Uncle!"

"Still not your uncle, kid." Abba sighed as he awkwardly patted the boy while Regina chuckled.

"So how are we gonna get to my mom?" he asked.

"Well, I happen to know a certain pirate captain, who'd be more than happy to help me." he replied, "Fair warning though, she's a bit of a flirt."

"Wait, did you say she?" Henry asked as he followed his uncle to the docks.

"Get back to scrubbing, Jones!" a hot tempered redhead shouted from the helm of a pirate ship at her one-handed deckhand. She was dressed as a pirate but made no effort to cover up her impressive cleavage behind her blouse. As Abba and Henry approached her ship, she felt the fires of lust ignite inside upon looking at the red wearing alchemist.

"Ahoy, Captain!" Abba greeted trying not to cringe.

"Well, well, today must be my lucky day." she smirked as she seductively approached Abba, while stepping on Hook's hand in the process, "And what brings my favorite alchemist aboard the Jolly Roger?"

"I need you to take me and the boy to the bottomless sea, Ariel." Abba dryly informed as she puffed out her chest and pouted cutely.

"Is that all?" she asked as she pressed her bosom against his toned chest, "There isn't anything else I can do for you?"

"You can stop pressing your breasts against me in front of the boy, for one thing." Abba said while looking away as he blushed.

"Aw. And I was hoping we could have some fun. Make you earn your…sea legs." she whispered in his ear.

"I think your deckhand would be more willing than I." Abba replied as he walked away leaving Henry looking at the sight with a bewildered look.

"I hope Hook and Ariel won't remember this after we make things right, or else things are gonna be awkward the next time they see Uncle." he thought bluntly. As Ariel sailed the ship to their destination, with the additional harsh order towards Hook, Henry couldn't help but look at his uncle.

"If you've got something on your mind, spit it out." Abba said flatly.

"I was just wondering…how you…you know." Henry awkwardly replied as he gestured to Abba's arm and leg.

"I figured as much." he sighed, "Well, since you've told me so much about the 'other' me, I might as well tell you about this version. A long time ago, Snow White fell in love with King George's son, Prince James even though their kingdoms were at war with each other for power. Regina and I were working for Snow's father as stable hands at the time. One night, when we were feeding the horses, we found them in an…awkward position. Snow explained it to us that she was in love with James because he understood her and was just as cruel as she was. Instead of killing us, she let us live, but only if we kept their secret. Unfortunately, King Leopold became suspicious whenever he noticed his daughter randomly disappearing and since Regina tended to her horse, he confronted her. He tricked her into telling him about Snow and James. Needless to say, it didn't end well."

"He killed James." Henry nodded.

"Right in front of his own daughter." Abba nodded, "Snow was heartbroken, and beyond angry. She was going to kill Regina. And she would have if I hadn't stepped in."

"What'd you do?" he asked.

"Well, amongst alchemy, there are some procedures that others would advise against. One of which is considered the greatest taboo that no alchemist should ever attempt; Human Transmutation. Trying to bring someone back from the dead with alchemy. I convinced Snow that I could succeed and bring James back to life, but only if she would spare my sister. In her grief and heartache, she agreed to the deal without a second thought. It went against my better judgement, but I gathered everything necessary for the transmutation not long after. Every known element that makes up the human body, perfectly calculated and measured with the necessary transmutation circle containing the formula needed for it to work. It was just me and Snow that night.

"When I activated the circle, that's when everything went wrong. Instead bringing James back, the room turned red and a giant eye opened in the floor as multiple, little, black hands rose from the circle. Next thing I knew, I was in some white void with nothing but a stone gate behind me and strange outline of a man standing before me, grinning madly. The gate opened and revealed the eye and those hands again before they pulled me in. Then my head began to fill with knowledge, knowledge I never knew could be learned to the point where it felt like my head was going to explode. And before it did, I found myself outside the gate and realized I was back with Snow. Only thing different was that my entire left leg was gone below my thigh. Blood was everywhere. And when I looked up, hoping to see James so that my sister would be safe from Snow, I saw a mangled body choking on whatever life it had left reach out its hand towards Snow as she cried.

"After that, I passed out from the blood loss and woke up the next day in the dungeon with my leg stump patched up while Snow glared at me with tears rolling down her red face. It was then that I knew that I only made things worse for me and Regina. She said that I managed to make myself guilty of the same crime as my sister. Before I could say anything, she grabbed a nearby sword, screamed as loud as she could and cut off my right arm. I guess she thought I was dead after I passed out again because I woke up in the woods sometime later. Some old hermit found me and helped me recuperate before Regina found me. Took me almost three years, but I managed to build these replacement limbs. Trust me, it's not easy building stuff like this with only one arm. Once I got used to them, Regina and started our lives as bandits on the run from Snow White and her army. The only upside to it all was I don't need a transmutation circle to perform my alchemy anymore; I just need to clap my hands together and that's it. I also learned something else, two things actually. Human Transmutation can never be performed, and the dead, no matter what anyone does, don't come back to life."

Henry didn't say anything after Abba was done. The world he was in may not have been real, but for his uncle, everything that he just said sounded more real than anything else he had ever heard. It may have actually happened earlier in the book or it could all just be one great, big fake memory in his head. But the way Abba told the story, Henry couldn't help but believe him. The funny thing, though, is that story was nothing compared to what actually happened to his real uncle. About an hour later, the Jolly Roger reached her destination.

"Look!" Henry called as he spotted the island, "We found it!"

"There's a black knight standing guard." Hook said nervously.

"Only one." Abba chuckled, "I've dealt with worse. You and Ariel wait here while the boy and I fetch his mother."

When the two of them made it inside, Abba snuck behind the black knight and slammed his head against the wall rendering him unconscious. "Not much security you have here, Snow." he muttered in disappointment as Henry grabbed the keys, "Be quick, he won't be out for long."

"Okay. You wait here and keep watch while I get my mom." Henry nodded as he made it to where Emma was being held. When he unlocked the door, he found her in a dress on the floor looking fatigued and dazed.

"Hi." he greeted thinking she didn't remember him, "My name is-"

"Henry." Emma said weakly.

"Mom?" he asked as she rose to her feet.

"Henry." she said again.

"You-you remember." he said as he hugged her.

"I knew you'd find me." she whispered happily in her son's embrace.

"I don't understand. How do you remember when no one else does?" he asked as he unshackled her.

"Must have been part of Gold's plan. My punishment in this world is that I know the truth but I'm powerless to do anything about it. In this world, I'm no longer the Savior. I've got no magic." she explained weakly.

"That's alright. I think I know what to do. Now come on." Henry said as they headed downstairs, when Emma made it down first, she bumped into Abba and found herself holding on to him as she gazed into the light-chocolate brown eyes she adored. When he caught her, Abba thought as though an angel fell into his arms as he stared into her jade-green eyes while the sunlight shined in her golden hair.

"Uh, this is my mom." Henry introduced feeling awkward watching them.

"Uh." Abba replied feeling speechless as he continued to stare before awkwardly shaking her hand, "Yeah, um, nice to m-meet you."

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." she replied realizing he didn't remember her, "Look, we need to get going. We've got a wedding to stop."

"Wow." he mouthed as he followed her out to the ship.

"Thanks for the help." Emma thanked as the ship sailed away.

"Uh, yeah, of course." Abba said nervously, "I'm pleased you regained your, uh, your freedom."

"Unfortunately, it's not gonna last unless we put some distance between that tower and us before the guard wakes up." she replied.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because that was not any ordinary black knight. Her name is Lily. She's dangerous." Emma warned.

"I don't understand. What's the problem with this Lily person?" Abba asked as Lily in her dragon form flew out of the tower and headed straight towards them, "Okay. I see what you mean now."

"Henry, get below deck, now!" Emma told her son, "Ever fight a dragon before?"

"I wanna say, no." Abba replied as he helped her load the nearest mortar with a chain shot while Ariel steered the ship.

"Hold your fire till I tell you!" she said as he readied the flint stick, "Lily, over here! Come on, Lily! Come on! Now!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Abba ignited the fuse and watched as the chain shot made the dragon crash into the sea.

"That was close!" he laughed as she did, "You've got guts, Milady."

"I guess somebody I know back home's rubbed off on me." she laughed thinking about the real version of him.

"If I may ask, what made you trust me with your life, like that?" he asked.

"It's complicated. Might take a while." she replied.

"Well, I think I can make plenty of time for a lovely lady like yourself." he smirked making her blush a little.

"Wow. You're smoother here than you were back home." she chuckled under her breath. As they sailed back to port, Abba listened as Emma told him a lot of what Henry said earlier that day. After changing into some of Ariel's spare clothes, Emma left the Jolly Roger with her son and boyfriend and headed into the port. While Henry was off looking for food, Emma finished telling Abba her tale.

"So, in this other reality, are we really as close as your son says?" he asked.

"Well, you did travel across the realms just to be with me." she smirked playfully, "So, yeah, I'd say we're _very_ close."

"Hmm. I'm starting to get jealous of this other me." he chuckled feeling proud of himself.

"Let's see what food Henry's discovered. I'm starving." Emma said still smiling at him. As they began to go look for Henry, Lily came around the corner with the evil version of the dwarves and Emma's parents.

"There they are." she said, "It's as I told you, my queen. The alchemist helped her escape, and the boy was with them, as well."

"Tell us where the child is hiding!" Grumpy snarled as he tried to grab Emma only kicked into his brothers' arm by Abba.

"Back off, dwarf! Or I'll change your name to Stumpy!" he threatened.

"I know you." Snow White said looking at Emma, "You're…Emma. The mad hag who was locked in the tower. I almost didn't recognize you out of your chains."

"You're the one that's hard to recognize; both of you. This isn't who you are." Emma said hoping to get through to Snow and Charming.

"Tell me, who are we?" she asked.

"You're my parents." she said shocking everyone but Henry, "I'm the product of your true love. You taught me how to be a hero, you taught me how to believe in hope. And I do. And now I need you to believe in it, too."

"You're right, Emma." Snow agreed, "Hope is a very powerful thing. Which is why I'm going to have to snuff it out of you and that awful son of yours. Kill them."

"Wait!" Charming halted as Henry came around the corner, "There he is."

"My, my. I am going to enjoy watching him die in front of his mother." Snow smiled darkly.

"Get out of here." Abba whispered to Emma.

"You can't beat them." Emma argued.

"Look at this way, if what you say is true, and I die here, then once you fix everything, I'll be fine. Besides," he said glaring at Snow and Charming, "I have a score to settle. Now go. Save your boy. Find my sister and wait for me at our hideout. I'll be there as soon as I can."

As Emma reluctantly headed over to Henry, Abba skillfully knocked down a pile of cargo over the knights, rendering them unconscious. Now, it was just Abba and the two monsters he helped create.

"You willing to die for her, alchemist?" Charming asked as Abba clapped his hands together and made a blade form on his metal arm over his hand.

"Dying is the day worth living for." he coolly replied as Henry and Emma got away. Charming, in his arrogance, tried to psyche Abba out by striking his blade only to see it be fended off easily. Growing frustrated, he tried again repeatedly which resulted in Abba striking back forcing him to go on the defensive side. With little effort, Abba knocked him to the ground with an elbow strike to the face, leaving him dazed while the other knights picked themselves up.

"Why don't you lot stay down?" he asked softly as he raised his left knee and pointed it at them. In a split second, a small version of a mortar fired a shot at them from his prosthetic limb. Those that weren't dead were either unconscious or too injured to get back up again. As this happened, Charming got up from behind Abba with his knife drawn with every intent to do this dishonorable thing and stab him in the back; literally.

But Abba knew this, and in one swift motion, he quickly turned and slit Charming's throat with the blade on his arm. With fresh blood splattered against the side of his face, Abba turned back around to see the queen stand alone with fear and shock plastered on her soft, white face. In a feeble attempt, she tried to kill the alchemist with a ball of fire only to watch it be deflected by his metal arm as he approached her.

"Snow White of Misthaven," he said in a terrifying tone as Snow stumbled back to the ground in fear, "You and your followers have devastated the balance of this realm. And now, you shall pay the ultimate price."

Before she could even so much as scream, he grabbed her face with his real arm, lifted her so she was but an inch off the ground, and used his alchemy to kill her. He knew when the lights stopped flashing and her eyes were rolled back in her head that she was dead; but he didn't take pride in it. He gently laid her down on the ground, closed her eyes, and bowed his head.

"The queen," he said as he walked away with his back facing the carnage he made, "Is dead."

It didn't take him very long, but Abba was able to meet up with the others back at his home. "You made it." Emma said happily before hugging him tightly which he didn't mind.

"…Brother?" Regina asked hesitantly, "Wh-who's blood is that?"

He could've kicked himself for not cleaning off the blood on his faced and gloves. It was then that Emma released him from the hug and looked at him with an unreadable expression. Not wanting to beat around the bush, Abba told them who the blood belonged to.

"Snow White and Charming are dead." he admitted solemnly causing them all, Emma especially, to look shocked, "I'm sorry. I know that they were your parents, but it was either them or me. But if we succeed in ending this reality, they just come back in the other one."

After swallowing, or at least attempting to try, the death of her parents, Emma and the others raced out of the woods to the church where Robin and Zelena's wedding was being held.

"We haven't heard the wedding bells yet. There's still time." Henry said as they reached the church.

"I don't even know what to say to him." Regina argued nervously.

"Sister, in this case, actions seem to be louder than words." Abba countered.

"Once you and Robin share true love's kiss, everything should be great again." Henry stressed.

"Okay." Regina nodded while Emma lightly chuckled, "What?"

"You don't remember this, but I promised you once I'd help you find your happy ending. I'm just glad I'm here to see it." she smiled, "You got this, Regina."

"I'm afraid none of you are crashing this wedding, dearies." Rumplestiltskin denied as he approached them with his sword drawn.

"Go." Emma said glaring at the man responsible for it all, "We've got the Dark One."

"Dark One?" he scoffed as Emma and Abba pointed their blades at him, "I'm afraid you have the wrong name, dearie."

"We'll see about that." she coolly retorted.

"No idea why, but I feel the strangest sense of Déjà vu and…enjoyment towards what comes next." Abba smirked.

"Unfortunately for you, nothing comes next." Rumple denied as the fight began.

"Regina, go!" Abba urged as he fought. Rumple proved to be a more skilled opponent than the others he fought today, so Abba struggled to keep him from staying on the offensive. In a cheap shot, the Light One used his magic to knock Emma and Abba back several feet rending him in a daze and her unconscious.

"Mom, Uncle!" Henry cried as he grabbed Emma's sword.

"Out of my way, boy." Rumple warned.

"You have to get through me to get to her!" Henry declared while Regina struggled between stopping the wedding and helping the others, "Go! You have to stop that wedding!"

But Rumple got the upper hand and knocked the boy's sword away. "You won't hurt me." he said standing his ground, "You're supposed to be a hero here."

"And that's exactly why I must do this; to ensure I remain one." Rumple replied as he swung his sword. But as he did, the flesh the blade cut through didn't belong to Henry, instead, it was Regina's.

"Sister!" Abba cried as he ran over to Regina.

"It's done." he whispered before flashing away.

"Mom?" Henry asked as his voice broke.

"Regina?" Emma asked as she joined them.

"Mom. Why didn't you go into the church?" Henry asked.

"I…I couldn't let you die." she said weakly as the bells rung.

"We're at the end of the book. We're not gonna be able to change anything now." Emma said in defeat as the newlyweds exited the church.

"Regina?" Robin asked when he saw his friend bleeding on the ground, "Regina!"

"Robin? What's going on?" Zelena asked as she joined him, "Oh, now I've got blood on my dress!"

"Can't you see she's injured?" he asked his wife in bewilderment.

"This is supposed to be my day! And she's ruined it!" she whined as he skin began to literally turn green with envy. As she ran off, Isaac watched the sight in the crowd.

"It's okay. You're gonna be alright." Robin soothed as he cradled her head.

"Gina, please." Abba begged chocking his tears.

"No. I'm not." she whispered, "I'm sorry, Abby."

"At least I can promise you, you won't die alone." Robin swore gently.

"Too little, too late." Isaac smirked before Emma clocked him in the face, knocking the pen out of his bag.

"Then you're gonna change things. Return them to the way they were." Emma barked as he clutched his jaw, "Bring back my parents, save Regina."

"I can't." he said as Henry heard something come from the pen before picking it up, "I'm not the Author anymore. I can't change a thing."

"Whoa." Emma said as the pen shined in her son's hand, "Kid, what the hell?"

"No." Isaac whispered.

"What's happening?" Emma asked.

"He's the next Author." Isaac said in disbelief.

"I-I can feel it." Henry said.

"Henry. Fix it. Write everything the way it was." Emma said.

"Without ink, he's not writing anything." Isaac spat while Emma grabbed her sword.

"My blood. It was supposed to work last time." she said ready to slice her hand only to have her son stop her.

"Yes, when mixed with darkness, but you're not the Savior here." Henry reminded, "But that doesn't mean we didn't find one. And in this world, we don't need a dark Savior. We need a light one."

"No, don't!" Isaac yelled as Henry knelt by his dying mother.

"Henry, do it!" Emma yelled as she held him back. Dipping the ink in her blood, Henry used his newfound powers to fix everything.

"With the hero Regina's sacrifice," he wrote, "Isaac's villainous work was undone."

In a quick flash, Henry found himself standing over Regina as she rose to her feet with Emma and the Apprentice rising up behind them as they hugged.

"You did it." Regina said proudly.

"No, Mom. We did." he corrected as Robin ran over to Regina and hugged her tightly while Henry went over to Emma, "Mom!"

"Henry." she said hugging him before her eyes widened, "My parents."

Without a minute to waste, Emma ran as fast as she could to the loft hoping to find her family there alive. Although, when she burst through the door, what she found was, in a word, just plain _weird_.

"Come on! It's only fair!" Nicholas stressed to Snow and David as he held a gun, "I killed you guys, you guys shoot me!"

"For the last time!" Snow said sternly, "We are _not_ going to shoot you!"

"Mom! Dad!" Emma cried as she rushed over to hug them tightly. Nicholas smiled at the touching sight as his nephew and sister came in. As soon as he saw Regina, he walked over to her and instead of hugging, he thumped her forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Ow!" she said, "What'd you do that for?"

It was then that he pulled her into a very tight hug. "Don't ever do something stupid like that again." he whispered harshly even though he was very happy to see his big sister alright.

"Okay, Abby." she whispered back with a smile as she hugged him too.

Later that evening, as per usual with the defeat of a villain, a party celebrating victory was thrown at Granny's with everyone invited. As music, chatter, laughter and the clinking of mugs filled the air, everything seemed to be going well.

"Again," Nicholas said sheepishly to the Charmings with his arm around Emma, "I'm sorry I killed you guys. Though, in my defense, you didn't leave me much choice."

"Eh, you don't need to be sorry." David waved off, "Although, I'm probably gonna hold it over your head for a very, very long time."

"I think we can all agree that what happened in that world was not real." Emma threw in, "Although, see you guys as real villains makes me feel sorry for holding a grudge against you for so long."

"Which reminds me," Nicholas said nodding at Robin, "I promised you guys something once we were done with Gold and the Author. Now may be as good a time as any."

"Well, it's about damn time." Regina said bluntly with a smirk as she, Robin, Hook, Ariel, and Henry joined them to hear what he had to say.

"Okay," he said taking a deep breath, "Well, as you guys know, I've kept a lot of secrets from you over the years. That day I mysteriously disappeared, the reason why I went to New York besides wanting to be with Emma and Henry, who shot me repeatedly when…my mother died; even that mystery guy at the boathouse. All those things are connected to something…well, something very big that you wouldn't believe. The truth is, I'm-"

Everyone was waiting anxiously for him to finally come clean after being in the dark for so long. But as soon as he was about to tell them, Belle came bursting through the door with a panicked look on her face.

"Rumple," she panted gaining their attention, "His heart. He said it's almost gone. He said we're in danger."

After everyone, including the Apprentice, went over to the pawn shop, they found Gold laying on the ground unconscious. Knowing what to do, the Apprentice took out the Hat box and placed it next to him.

"He tried to use the Hat to free himself from the dagger." Hook recalled as he caught on to the plan.

"This is not unlike that." the Apprentice replied, "We're pulling the darkness from him and containing it."

"Does that mean his heart will be healed?" Belle asked.

"Perhaps. If the strength is there. This is more dark power than the Hat has ever been asked to contain." he informed before looking at the two agents, "I'm sorry, but this may interfere with what you originally had planned for him."

"Do what you need to do." Nicholas replied stoically.

"We'll handle whatever takes his place." Robin nodded confusing the others even more as the Apprentice began to cast his spell.

"Purest evil, blackest bloom, darkness, too, can find its doom." he chanted as he pulled out the black heart and unlocked the Hat, "Never dying, but contained, bound inside the falcon's chamber, shorn of anger, thornless danger, there forever to remain."

With the spell completed, the Hat absorbed the centuries of darkness collected in Rumple's heart and stripped him of his Dark One powers, making him an ordinary man once again. With his name no longer on the dagger, and his heart white as snow, neither dark or light, Rumplestiltskin laid on the floor with no signs of waking up.

"He's barely breathing." Belle said in her worry.

"Rumplestiltskin was the Dark One for centuries. His return to the man he used to be will not be easy." the Apprentice replied as he cast a preservation spell on the man, "This will preserve him until we discern if we can help him."

"And now, we're back down to four." Robin sighed while Nicholas shook his head.

"Four?" David asked as the Hat began to act up.

"Everybody step back." Emma warned as the box shook and unleashed the darkness it contained. In retaliation towards the one who sealed it, the darkness lunged at the Apprentice and tried to fuse itself within him. But thanks to Emma's magic, it left the old man's body as quickly as it entered him and fled outside into the night looking for a new host.

"Mom, Dad! Go after it! Go! I'll be right there." Emma said.

"Contact the others." Nicholas said to Robin, "They need to know what's happened."

"I left my shell at the camp!" he alerted in panic as he patted down his jacket.

"Dammit! Go out and help them!" Nicholas ordered as Regina followed her lover outside with Hook and Ariel following them, "What was that?"

"Long before your stories began," the Apprentice said weakly, "The Sorcerer battled the Darkness. He was able to keep it from consuming the realms. He tethered it to a human soul that could be controlled with a dagger."

"The Dark One." Emma realized as she held the dagger.

"The Sorcerer is the only one with the power to destroy the darkness once and for all before it destroys everything." he continued.

"Where is he? Who is he?" she asked.

"He's far, far from here. Find him. His name is…Merlin." he informed shocking Emma and Henry, "You must stop…the Darkness. Find Merlin."

Outside in the town square, the three of them met up with the others as they looked around for the darkness. "Where is it?!" Emma asked.

"We don't know." David replied.

"It just disappeared into the night." Snow added.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Regina said as they all looked around.

"…It hasn't gone anywhere." Emma spoke up, "The darkness, it's surrounding us."

And then, like vulture diving from the sky to catch its prey, the darkness pounced Regina and pulled her away from the others.

"Regina!" Nicholas and Robin shouted.

"What's it doing?!" Robin asked.

"It's doing what darkness does." Emma replied clutching the dagger in her hand, "Snuffing out the light."

"I'm not gonna let it." he growled as he tried to pull his soul mate out of the black vortex only to be sent back to the ground.

"That's not gonna work on this thing! The Apprentice told me we have to do what the Sorcerer did! We have to tether it to a person to contain it!" Emma yelled as she approached the darkness with the dagger.

"Emma! No!" Regina shouted, "There has to be another way!"

"There isn't." Emma said ready to make the sacrifice, "You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed."

"No!" David cried as his precious daughter was about to strike the darkness.

"You figured out how to take the darkness out of me once." she said to her parents on the verge of tears, "You need to do it again, as heroes."

"Emma! Emma, please!" Nicholas yelled trying to stop her, "Don't do this."

Looking the man she loved in the eyes, possibly for the last time as herself, she gently caressed his face and said three simple, yet important words. "I love you."

She then pushed him back and pierced the black vortex with the dagger and let it consume her instead of her friend. Before it finally took her over, Emma looked at her loved ones one last time before the darkness lifted her in the air, consumed itself, and disappeared leaving only the dagger behind.

And for the first time in over three hundred years, instead of reading the name "Rumplestiltskin" on the blade, it now said "Emma Swan."

 **Human Sacrifices**

 **1\. Nicholas Flamel**

 **2\. The Apprentice**

 **3\. Maleficent**

 **4\. Zelena**

 **5\. Emma Swan**


	50. The Dark Swan

**Finally, we've made it to season 5! Thank you to all you awesome readers, you guys have been what's kept me going for almost an entire year now. I appreciate all the suggestions and reviews you've given since I started writing this and I continue to look forward to what you have to say as I continue to write this story. I won't keep you from reading the main part for long so just to let you know, there will be another A.N. at the end with some details you may want to read (you don't have to if you don't want).**

 **As always, I hope you enjoy and please, let me know what you think. Later!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

If Nicholas Flamel still had a heart beating in his chest, by now, after watching the woman he loved get swept away in a swirling dark vortex turning her into the newest Dark One, it would be shattered. All he could do was stare at the blade that now had his beloved's name carved into it.

"How could she be so stupid?!" Regina exclaimed in frustration.

"Regina!" David snapped.

"Well, there had to be another way." she argued.

"There wasn't." Snow said not knowing what to feel at the moment, "That thing was going to kill you. She saved your life."

"Don't you think I know that?" she asked hotly.

"And now she's the Dark One." Henry said still not fully believing it.

"Bloody hell." Hook exhaled as he held Ariel as they both thought of their friend.

"Now she's a problem; for all of us." Regina sighed.

"She's still good." Snow argued.

"I hope so. It's not like she rode off on a unicorn. She got sucked up by a vortex of evil." Regina retorted while her brother slowly walked over to the dagger and fell to his knees as he loosely held it, "Oh, God. Nicholas, brother, I'm sorry."

But he didn't respond to her, he probably didn't hear a word any of them were saying. As his grip tightened on the dagger, his whole body began to tremble as his eye twitched and his teeth grinded together in anger.

"Nicholas? Are you okay?" Ariel asked in concern. But instead of replying, sparks of red alchemic lightning began to surge on his body; even the ground began to shake because of his rage. Seething and panting in anger, with his eyes glowing red, he turned to look back at the pawn shop where his anger was focused.

"GOLD!" he roared as he scrambled to his feet. Knowing what his blinded comrade wanted to do, Robin pulled out a transport rock, crushed it, tackled his friend, and threw the dust where they landed allowing it to teleport them away from the others. In an instant, they landed on one of the coffee tables back in the debriefing room at the mansion.

"Activate emergency lockdown sequence!" Robin yelled as he struggled to hold down his friend, "Code: S4, N.F.A.!"

"EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN: COMENCING." the computer's voice said throughout the mansion as the lights went red and all the windows, doors, and walls were covered by thick metal covers.

"Get off me!" Nicholas shouted over the sirens as he zapped Robin with his lightning.

"What the bloody hell is going on?!" Skinner yelled as he and the others stormed into the room.

"And why are we under lockdown?!" Sawyer shouted.

"Take it down, now!" Nicholas ordered Robin.

"What's happening here?!" Mina asked covering her ears.

"Terrible news, that's what!" Robin shouted as Nicholas tried and failed to transmute himself out, "I had no choice but to bring him here! He was about to go on a bloody rampage!"

"Whatever for?!" Nemo asked as Quartermain turned off the sirens.

"Emma just became the new Dark One." Robin exhaled sadly.

"What?!" Mina asked, "You mean she killed Gold?!"

"No, no. Gold's alive, just barely." he informed.

"Flamel!" Quartermain shouted startling them, "Stop jumping around! You know you can't get through these walls!"

"Take them down, now!" he shouted in his anger before he was shot in the head by his superior.

"Now, what happened?!" Quartermain asked Robin hotly.

"It's not good, Allan. Not good at all." he replied gravely, "After we returned from the book, everyone threw a celebration party at Granny's. Everything was fine, Nicholas was actually about to tell everyone about us since the threat was over with. But just before he could tell them, Belle came in and told us that Gold was about to lose control of the Dark One's spirit. We all went to his shop with the Apprentice, he tried to seal the darkness into the Hat but it didn't work. One thing led to another, and then it tried to kill Regina but Emma stepped in and tethered it to herself before it took her away. Now she's not only the Dark One, but she's just taken Gold's place as one of the sacrifices. That's what's got Nicholas all riled up."

"The dagger?" Quartermain asked gritting his teeth.

"It-it got left behind as Emma was taken away." Robin replied, "Nicholas had it, but he must've dropped it when I tackled him before poofing us here."

"Boss," Nicholas growled as the last of the shrapnel left his head.

"You cooled down, yet?" he asked matching his glare with his own.

"Let, me, out!" he shouted.

"Apparently, not." Quartermain sighed as he shot him again.

"Stop it!" Mina interjected, "You shooting him isn't making this any easier for Nicholas!"

"Buddy, are you okay?" Sawyer asked as he tried to help Nicholas only be shrugged off.

"Get off me!" he snapped which made Quartermain shoot him in the head again.

"Boss!" Sawyer shouted.

"Either he calms down, or I keep shooting." Quartermain barked, "I'm not letting him out there with his head full of steam, like this. It won't do him or Swan any good."

"You have no idea why I'm so angry, do you?" Nicholas asked as he healed.

"Boy," he sighed, "We know you're hurting, but you can't charge into this blinded by your anger; that's not how we operate. Take a breath."

"I can't take a breath, boss!" he shouted, "I can't even breathe knowing what's waiting for Emma out there!"

"Mate, what are you talking about?" Skinner asked in concern which made Nicholas look at them all baffled.

"You guys really don't remember?" he asked, "She's going to be reborn as the Dark One from the Well of the Dark One in the Enchanted Forest. Don't you know whose territory that is?!"

Realization dawned upon the other agents as they each remembered the specific detail Nicholas was implying. Now they had a better understanding of why he was so desperate to get back out there and find his true love.

 **OUaT**

In the darkest parts of the Enchanted Forest, the Well of the Dark One unlocked itself and let a pool of dark sludge poor out into the world. From this, now wearing tattered gray robes, the new Dark One, Emma Swan emerged.

"Where am I?" she asked herself before the sound of whistling could be heard, "Who's there?!"

When she threw up her hood and turned around, she saw Rumplestiltskin, only his appearance was that of what he looked like before the first curse. "You're supposed to be in Storybrooke. You were in a coma."

"Ah, yes, I am." he giggled, "Or, uh, rather, he is."

"What are you?" she asked.

"I am many things. I'm the voice in your head, the Dark One's powers inside you, inside all the Dark Ones. Rumplestiltskin is but one of many. Perhaps I can be another. How about Gorgon the Invincible?" he asked before turning into a very large, fire-breathing boar before turning back to Rumple, "Yes, probably easier this way. Now, are you ready to begin?"

"Begin what?" she asked.

"Well, learning to be the Dark One, of course. Think of me as your guide, but only till you've learned to embrace your powers." he replied.

"I will never embrace the darkness." she calmly argued.

"Ah, they all say that!" he humorously waved off, "Everyone who sips from this well enjoys the taste too much. The only way to stop is to be stopped. This is the fate of all Dark Ones."

Emma scoffed at the ghost before her and tried to walk away. Of course, there was no avoiding him, because, in a manner of speaking, he was her. "You can't just walk away from it."

"I'm in the Enchanted Forest now, which means Merlin can't be far from here, and the Apprentice told me he can destroy the darkness, so I'm going to find him."

"Merlin?" Rumple asked, "Oh, you're better off with me."

"No, I'll never be like all of you!" she shouted, "I'll never hurt the people I love; the people who love me."

After making it out of the woods and to the nearest road, Emma thought she might catch a break when she saw a man pushing a cart while another man watched her from the trees. He had graying brown, curly hair that reached his neck with a matching full, bushy beard and blue eyes and he wore a dark blue coat over a brown shirt and black pants with boots, gray fingerless gloves, and a tattered dark blue scarf around his neck like a bandana.

"Hey! Excuse me! I need help!" she called startling him as she ran up to him, "I need directions to Camelot. Do you know the way?"

"Of course." he said, "It will only cost you two pieces of silver."

"Oh, uh, I don't have any silver." she replied.

"Three pieces now." he said.

"I'm in a hurry." she said losing her patience.

"Four."

"Just tell me!" she snapped as he began to choke and rise into the air. From the trees, the mystery man looked both surprised and intrigued at the sight.

"What are you doing?" he choked.

"I'm not doing anything." she said.

"But of course you are." Rumple said appearing beside her with his hand raised.

"Stop." she pleaded.

"It's not me doing this, dearie. It's you." he smirked as Emma realized it was her hand raised choking the man. When she let him go, it couldn't stop shaking as her fear controlled her. "So, did you enjoy it? Your first taste of darkness?"

"Excuse me." the other man said as he came up behind Emma with a welcoming smile, "Correct me if I'm wrong, it-it was hard to hear down the road, but did you say you were looking for Camelot?"

"Yes." Emma said desperately, "Yes, I am. Do you know how to get there?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." he nodded, "If I may ask, what happened to the gentlemen who ran off?"

"He learned what happens when he tries to take advantage of a woman in need of help." Emma partially lied.

"Ah." he nodded, "I see. Shame on him, then. I take back the 'gentlemen' comment in that case."

"Yeah." Emma nodded, "I'm Emma, by the way."

"Pleased to meet you, Emma." he nodded kindly, "My name is Giles."

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke the following morning, after having been explained the last bit of information the Apprentice gave the others before he died, Robin and Nicholas formulated a plan of their own with Regina after she explained that, even with the Apprentice's wand, she couldn't open a portal to the Enchanted Forest. With no other choice, they went to the last person they wanted to see, Zelena.

"Well, if it isn't my dear little brother and sister?" she asked sarcastically as they entered her cell, "Sorry, dears, I'm trying to meditate. It's good for the baby. Please go. You're ruining my chi."

"We need your help." Nicholas stiffly informed.

"Wow." she laughed standing up, "You must be really desperate."

"We are." he replied before anyone else could speak, "Something's happened to Emma. She's the Dark One now and is in the Enchanted Forest. We need your help to get us there."

"Well, now, that is quite the pickle." she smirked, "And why should I help you lot?"

"Because out of the two of us, you don't hate me as much as you do Regina. And, whether you'll admit it or not, you actually have a soft spot for me." he replied catching everyone off guard, "That day when we defeated you, when you pulled me against your cell, you felt a connection to me like you've never felt before. Because unlike Regina, I know better than anyone what you went through growing up because I went through the same thing. You felt something. I know you did. I could see it in your eyes. So I'm not demanding you to help me because I'm with the 'heroes,' I'm asking you to help me, as your brother."

Like Nicholas said, she wouldn't admit it, but Zelena agreed to everything he just said. In fact, she knew what Nicholas went through, or most of it at least, back when she was spying on him and Regina back in Oz and felt connected to him instead of being jealous and bitter like she felt towards her. In fact, knowing Regina was able to be loved by such a kind and caring brother like him was just one of the many things that made Zelena jealous of her. Not only that, but that day in the station, when she stared into his eyes as she spilled out her heart, she felt it again, stronger than ever.

So instead of making any further attempts to irritate him by not helping, Zelena sighed and said, "What do I get out of it?"

"How does giving a demonstration in front of everyone that your powers are superior to Regina's by using the wand she can't use to take us to Emma sound?" he asked dryly.

"Hmph." she chuckled, "Sounds like you've got yourself a deal, brother dear. When do we leave?"

 **OUaT**

"So why exactly do you want to go to Camelot?" Giles asked Emma as they walked through the woods.

"I'm looking for…someone. I think he might be there." she replied making sure to give out too much information.

"Might?" he asked, "Wouldn't you rather know for sure?"

"Of course, but I don't know how. I'm not exactly from around here." Emma replied as he chuckled.

"I gathered that the last three times you almost went in the wrong direction." he said in a friendly manner, "But what if I told you there was a definite way to find out where the person you're looking is?"

"I'm listening." she said as they came to a stop.

"Well, around these parts, there's this spirt known to guide people to what they desire. It's called the Will-O'-the-Wisp."

"Rather smart fellow, despite how he dresses." Rumple giggled beside Emma.

"Where can I find it?" she asked.

"If we continue along this way, we'll come across a small lake where wisps are known to appear, but there's a catch." Giles warned, "You have to catch it first."

"I think I can handle that." she said as she started walking again.

"I hope so. They are fairly quick little things." he added before pointing in the direction opposite of where Emma was going, "And they're also this way."

"Right." she said trying not to look embarrassed, "So what made you decide to help me?"

"Can a man not simply want to help a person in need?" he asked with a smile, "Besides, believe it or not, I'm actually a servant of the Lord."

"Wait, you mean like a priest?" Emma asked.

"Of sorts." Giles said mysteriously.

"So then, what kind of god do you worship?" she asked causing him to chuckle.

"Oh, there's only one God, my dear." he smiled.

"But I thought people here worshipped multiple gods, or something?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he shrugged, "But where I come from, people have learned that there is only one almighty God. Although, it has not been easy convincing people I meet that is what I believe; I don't know how many times my Bible has been thrown in the mud this past month."

"Sounds rough." she remarked.

"Not as rough as what others have gone through because of their belief in Him." Giles sighed before they both saw a little blue ball of fire dart around their heads. It didn't take more than a second for Emma to realize it was the wisp her new companion was talking about and began to chase after it with Giles following her. But just as she was about to grab it, someone else beat her to it and ran off with it.

"Hey! Hey, I need that! Stop!" Emma shouted unintentionally using her magic to make the running girl stop and fall. When she rushed over to try and take the wisp, the girl took off her hood and pointed her bow at her.

"Back off, lassie." she warned with a heavy Scottish accent, "My aim's true. Don't test me."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you." Emma reasoned.

"So that was just a wee magical love tap?" she asked not buying it, "Oh, I've met my share of witches. I know one when I see one, witch."

"No, I'm not a witch." Emma assured, "I was just cursed with dark magic."

"And the difference is?" she asked.

"She wants to be rid of it." Giles replied, "Right?"

"Right." Emma nodded, "The Will-O'-the-Wisp is the only way."

"You want to be rid of it?" she asked as Emma reached for the wisp in her bag.

"Desperately." she nodded.

"Aye. I know what that's like." the girl nodded, "It's a terrible fate to be cursed. Just be glad you're not a bear."

"That's oddly specific." Giles muttered as he and Emma found that last part odd.

"Oh, never mind. Look, I wish I could help you, but I need the wisp, too, for my kingdom, for my family. So I'm afraid you're gonna have to fight me for it." the girl said as she raised her fists.

"What?" Emma asked.

"I'm willing to fight fair if you are. No magic."

"I like her spunk." Rumple said appearing again, "Break her neck."

"I'm not going to fight you." Emma said trying to ignore the Dark One.

"You're not?" she and Giles asked.

"Why not?" Rumple asked in disappointment.

"Magic or no, that's giving in to the darkness, and I won't do it." Emma said holding herself back, "Go on, take it and get on your way. It's yours."

"Don't be trying to sucker-punch me." she warned.

"I'm not going to. Just go."

"Thank you. I'm Merida." she introduced while lowering her fists.

"Emma."

"Giles."

"You're in dire straits, aren't you, Emma?" Merida asked.

"You could say that." she admitted.

"Well, it wouldn't be fair to leave you two. I can help." the redhead offered.

"I don't think so." Emma disagreed.

"Well, now wait, she just might, Emma." Giles intervened.

"That's right. I take it you don't know much about the wisp, do you?" Merida asked.

"He does. I don't." she replied.

"Well, they're born in a magical place, the Hill of Stones. They answer your question when you bring them back home. It's about a day's trek from here. If we all go together, I can get my help from the wisp, and maybe, I can give it to you and you can get yours." Merida offered kindly causing Emma to smile at the gesture. As the newly formed trio continued on their journey, Merida led them in a rushed pace.

"Not to sound rude, but have you ever heard the phrase, 'slow and steady wins the race'?" Giles asked.

"I don't have time for slow." Merida replied.

"What exactly is your hurry?" Emma asked, "Why do you need the wisp?"

"My brothers." she said coming to a stop, "They were kidnapped by the united clans of my country. Just three wee, innocent boys. Savages. 'Cause of me. My father is-was the king. And when he passed, the clans no longer approved of me being queen. In my land, people, well, men don't think a woman can lead."

"Oh, not just in your land." Emma replied understanding.

"Well, I'm gonna show them. I need the wisp to take me to my brothers, and when it does, I will save them, no matter the cost. If it's war the clans want, it's war they'll get." Merida threatened before tripping over a rock.

"You won't do your brothers any good passed out from exhaustion." Emma said helping her up.

"When's the last time you slept?" Giles asked.

"What month is it?" Merida asked earning a pair of looks, "Fine. We can make camp. But just until first light."

After they made camp and night fell, Emma found herself tossing and turning on the ground after being up for hours through the night. "Can't sleep?" Rumple taunted beside her, "Worry not. Dark Ones don't need sleep."

In an attempt to ignore the image of her predecessor, Emma turned to the other side but saw him once again lying beside her. "That's why I spun straw. Passes the time. You need a hobby, something to take your mind off all the terrible things you're gonna do. Do you like knitting?"

"Nicky, I'm starting to understand what you go through at night." she muttered before looking at Rumple, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm doing good here. I've made a friend with Giles, I'm helping Merida, and when she's done with the wisp, it'll be my turn."

"Yes, there's one thing your 'friend' neglected to tell you." he giggled, "The wisp isn't a toy you can share. She can't just give it to you. The person who whispers to it becomes its owner forever."

"So if I let her use it, I can never use it?" Emma asked.

"Not while her heart beats." he darkly replied.

"You want me to take it for myself."

"I want you to start behaving like a Dark One!" he snapped.

"You knew this would happen. You wanted me to betray Merida and Giles." Emma said not knowing her companions were awake and listening.

"No, no. Not betray them. _Kill them_." Rumple giggled before hissing, "Come now, dearie. You can't fool me. There's no denying that prickling sensation every time you see our bushy bearded priest; and no, it's not because Dark One's dislike religion. Call it whatever you like, but deep down you know that that man is a threat. And as a Dark One, you must do what all Dark Ones do when threatened, end it."

"I'm not going to kill him." she whispered. Little did she know as she said this, Giles was smirking while he pretended to sleep. When the sun rose several hours later, Emma decided to look for some berries for breakfast while the others slept. When she returned, she found out that they ditched her.

"No. No, no, no, no." she muttered in panic.

"Oh, yes." Rumple smirked against a tree.

"Where are they?" Emma asked.

"Doing what you should be doing, taking care of themselves first. If the girl gets to the Hill of Stones and whispers into that wisp, it's all over for you, dearie. Unless you kill her." he warned.

"I'm not killing anyone." she argued.

"Ah, you don't really mean that." he waved off.

"…What does the Hill of Stones look like?" Emma asked.

"You're not thinking of magicing there, are you?" Rumple asked tauntingly.

"Tell me."

"I thought you didn't want to use Dark One magic."

"What does it look like?" she snapped in desperation.

"Well, if you insist." he "gave in."

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke, everyone stood in the town square to keep an eye on Zelena as she readied the Apprentice's wand for them. Nicholas watched his eldest sister carefully in case she tried anything foolish while his friends stood by him.

"You think we can trust her?" David asked him.

"I can." he replied, "But I would advise against any of you doing so. Out of all of us, I'm the only one she wants to have on her side. She couldn't care less about the rest of you."

"You know, that really doesn't bother me." David sighed before Zelena spoke to them.

"Alright, now all we need is something to direct us to Emma."

"Here." Nicholas said tossing her the watch Emma gave him for their anniversary.

"Oh, yes." Zelena grinned wickedly, "This will work perfectly."

Waving the wand under the watch, Zelena gathered a massive amount of her magic and sent a single blast of green energy towards the clouds out by the docks, creating a green, magical twister. But as soon as this happened, the wand zapped her and left her feeling weak giving Regina the chance to put the magic-binding cuff back on her.

"What happened?" Hook asked in confusion.

"What happened is that I'm not stupid." Regina smirked at Zelena, "I knew you'd be able to open that portal, but I also knew it'd weaken you. No more magic for you, sis."

"I guess you're more like Regina than I thought, brother dear." Zelena sneered at Nicholas.

"I had no idea she was going to do that, I swear." he defended feeling sorry for her.

"He's right. He didn't." Regina smirked, "But it doesn't matter, because now, now we have a way to Emma."

"I just hope it's not too late." Nicholas gravely thought.

 **OUaT**

After transporting herself to the Hill of Stones, Emma made it just in time to watch Merida run off with the wisp while Giles stared her down in the circle of tall stones.

"No! Do you have any idea what you've done?" Emma asked the man.

"As a matter of fact," Giles calmly said before pulling out a small double-barrel shotgun and aimed it at her, "I do. See, we may not have been able to hear who was talking to you last night, but Merida and I heard every word you said."

"I knew I forgot to mention that." Rumple joked with a lie, "Though, it's not very priest-like to point a gun at a young lady, no?"

"You don't know what you what you heard. I can explain." Emma reasoned.

"Oh, there's no need, _Dark One_." Giles replied shocking her.

"You knew?" she whispered.

"The whole time." he nodded with a faint smirk, "See, I'm actually in charge of patrolling the area where the Dark One's well is. And by the Lord's guiding wisdom, I came across the well the exact moment you emerged from it. From there, it was just a simple matter of telling a lie here and there."

Without a chance for warning, Giles fired the gun and shot Emma in the stomach making her feel a world of pain before her newfound immortality and magic healed her. When she looked up at him in shock, she didn't see a look of hate, or remorse, or even a blank expression. Instead, it looked like Giles was enjoying what he was doing.

"I though you said you were a priest!" Emma growled. Pretending to put some thought in next choice of words, Giles hummed and nodded his head before darkly smiling at her.

" _Of sorts_." he reminded smirking, "The truth is, Emma, I'm much more than just a wondering priest. No, no, I'm much more special than that. See, I'm actually a professional witch hunter; that and among other things."

"What?" she asked not believing her ears.

"Well, well, this is becoming interesting." Rumple said giddily.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment. To finally have a chance at taking on a Dark One other than Rumplestiltskin. Once I take you in, my promotion is guaranteed." he explained happily before taking another shot which was caught by her magic.

"Not sure what he's talking about, but I think we can both agree the second shot was a bit uncalled for." Rumple commented, "Go on. Use your anger. Use your power."

"I can talk to him." Emma whispered to the ghost.

"Talk is cheap. And I get paid upon delivery." Giles remarked as he reloaded and fired his gun again only to watch Emma catch the bullets in the air and drop them to the ground again.

"Well, that'll make things interesting." he deadpanned before quickly pulling out a handgun and firing at her. This time, however, she wasn't able to stop it and as soon as it hit her face, it popped like a paint ball and made her skin burn like acid.

"Stings, doesn't it?" Giles asked standing over her before squatting down and grabbing her hair, "It's squid ink mixed with holy water; standard issue. I told you, didn't I? I'm a professional."

He then punched her right in the face repeatedly as he hoisted her up. With a blast of magic, Emma was able to stop him by knocking him to the ground only to see him flip backwards, land on his feet and take cover behind one of the stones.

"You're embarrassing yourself, dearie." Rumple lectured watching the fight, "More importantly, you're embarrassing me. This is how it's done."

Taking control for a moment, Rumple willed Emma to flick her hand in an attempt to snap Giles' neck only to see a ripple of magic do nothing to him.

"Ah, the old magical neck snap trick. A classic." he said with a fond smirk while pulling out his shotgun and pointing it at her, "Unfortunately for you, that doesn't work on me."

"You-you're immortal?" Emma asked growing more confused and afraid.

"Ha! No, no." he chuckled, "I just know how to handle magic users."

"Well, now, this is an intriguing ordeal." Rumple giggled as Giles tried his luck shooting her again, "You need that wisp, Dark One. Kill him, then kill the girl."

"No." Emma whispered as she kept stopping the bullets.

"Kill him." Rumple advised as they repeated their actions, "Kill him. What are you waiting for?"

"Stop!" she bellowed before using her magic to stop Giles and drag him over to her. When she pulled her hand back and tried to rip out his heart, her hand hit some sort of metal under his shirt which prevented her from tearing out his heart.

"Good try." he praised as he revealed a black chest-guard before striking the sides of her head in her baffled state which discombobulated her, "But that doesn't work on me either. Now then," he said in a soft terrifying voice as he slowly drew a shiny hunting knife, "Let's end this and be on our way, Dark One."

"STOP!" a voice cried as a blur came in between the fighters. As Emma's head cleared, she saw Nicholas stand between her and Giles with his arms reached out towards both of them to end the fighting.

"Emma, Giles, please stop!" he begged with a worried look on his face as the others came up the hill to join them.

"Nicholas?" Giles asked surprised to see the immortal before looking beyond happy, "As I live and breathe!"

"Lower the knife, Giles." Robin calmly ordered as he aimed his dragon-bone bow at the priest.

"And Robin, too. This is just fantastic." he said smiling as he misunderstood what was going on, "While I am very happy to see you both again, I'm afraid you caught me at a bad time. I'm just about ready to take the Dark One back with me."

"Bluey, please, you understand." Nicholas pleaded as he continued to defend Emma, "You can't take her!"

"And why not?" he asked in disappointment.

"Put down the knife, and let me explain everything." Nicholas pleaded. Giles paused for a second while staring at Emma before he sighed and sheathed his blade.

"Oh, alright." he relented. While the rest of Emma's loved ones hugged her and explained how and why they came, the two League agents informed the priest of the situation at hand.

"And then we came here in a tornado." Nicholas finished.

"So, Rumplestiltskin isn't dead?" Giles asked, "And yet, there's a new Dark One. Well, that is a first."

"Look," Robin began, "We know that you've been wanting to take down the Dark One for a long time, but this woman hasn't done anyone any harm."

"Yet." Giles countered dropping his usual friendly disposition, "People who become the Dark One aren't exactly known to be the most peaceful of souls. How long before that one starts tearing out the hearts of innocents just for fun? You can't do this again, Nicholas. Not like after all the things your sister did."

"It won't come to that." Nicholas defended, "You can't take her in, anyway."

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Because, as of last night, she's a Human Sacrifice." Nicholas replied causing the priest's eyes to widen, "She's under my protection and jurisdiction."

"…Yes, it would seem so." Giles reluctantly acknowledged, "You do understand that I have to report this, yes?"

"Go ahead." Nicholas replied without a care, "Tell them everything we just told you. It doesn't change things."

"Maybe not. But it does mean that so long as that woman is the Dark One, all eyes will be on her." Giles reminded, "Despite how so many people wanted to get rid of Rumplestiltskin, we at least knew how to deal with him. Who's to say how she'll operate?"

"I do." he retorted.

"We actually hope to find a way to rid her of the darkness and put an end to the Dark One once and for all." Robin informed, "We're looking for Merlin."

"Good luck with that." Giles scoffed, "No one's seen him for over a thousand years."

"Doesn't mean we don't have a shot." Nicholas argued.

"Sigh…she really means a lot to you, doesn't she?" he asked.

"More than you could ever understand." he sincerely replied.

"I suppose…I could wait awhile before reporting all this." Giles informed his apparent friends.

"Really?" Nicholas asked in hope.

"You get one month." he warned raising his finger, "That's it. You can't get the darkness out of her before then, and-and I will tell the higher-ups so fast, a bullet couldn't keep up."

"Thank you!" Nicholas said happily as he hugged the priest, "Oh, thank you, Bluey! You're the best!"

"Oh, well, I know." he grinned bashfully waving him off before heading into the woods, "Good luck, my friends."

"So long, Bluebeard." Robin smiled at their fellow League agent. As they joined the others, they walked in on their conversation.

"Mom, Dad, this is too dangerous. You shouldn't have come." Emma said to her parents.

"We had to." David said hugging his little girl.

"You're our daughter." Snow reminded.

"Well, at least you don't look like a crocodile." Hook joked at his friend which earned him a jab from his fiancé.

"I guess I lucked out." Emma smirked finding the joke funny.

"Here." Snow said showing her daughter her dagger, "We think you should have this."

"Take it. You'll be able to control yourself." David nodded while Emma spotted Rumple again.

"No." she said.

"Emma, think about this." Nicholas advised, "If it falls into the wrong hands, what it could do, what you could do."

"The fight to control my darkness has just begun. It's too much power. Someone needs to watch me." Emma reasoned as she took the dagger and presented it to Regina.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"I saved you. Now save me." Emma said, "And if you can't save me, do what no one else will willingly do. You're the only one who will get past their feelings and do what is necessary; destroy me."

"It won't come to that." Henry assured.

"I know, kid." she nodded as she hugged her son, "So, are you guys gonna tell me how you all got here?"

"Uh, that might be easier to show rather than tell." Nicholas chuckled taking her hand as he led her to their crash site.

"You brought Granny's?" she asked as the door opened.

"Backup generator's working, but the fryers are shot." Granny informed as she came outside.

"And Granny."

"Terrible news!" Leroy complained as he, Happy and Doc came out with him, "No onion rings!"

"And Leroy." Emma chuckled.

"There's no shortage of people who want to help you." Snow replied.

"Emma!" Belle cried as she came out with a dome covered rose in her arms. Just then, the sound of horses galloping towards them could be heard.

"What now?" Leroy asked as the riders came before them.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Nicholas asked defending his true love.

"I'm King Arthur of Camelot." the leader introduced, "We've come to find you."

"Find us?" Hook asked.

"My lord, they think their arrival is a surprise." one of the knights said.

"You were expecting us." Snow realized.

"It was Merlin." Arthur replied, "He prophesized your coming here a long time ago, just as he prophesized many things."

"Merlin? Where is he?" Emma asked, "We were told that he's been missing."

"For years, yes." Arthur nodded, "But not for much longer because according to his prophecy, you're destined to reunite him with us. Now then, if you'll all follow me."

"Where?" she asked.

"Why, Camelot, of course." he grinned. After a short journey to the marvelous castle, everyone walked in with hope and smiles in their hearts for the lucky break they had found. And just as they were about to walk through the mighty gates, they-

 **OUaT**

 **(Six Weeks Later)**

CRASH! That was the first thing that went through everyone as they awoke in a daze on the floor of Granny's in the middle of the night in Storybrooke. Everyone inside was confused for various reasons, why they were back, why they were no longer entering Camelot and why they were all wearing the clothes they would have normally worn back in their realm.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sneezy asked as he and Sleepy walked into the diner; though for some reason, he was wearing Emma's red jacket and one of her stalking hats.

"What happened?" Snow asked as she and David held their son.

"We're back." David exhaled.

"Bloody hell." Hook cursed as he helped Ariel up.

"This doesn't make any sense." Regina said in a daze, "We were just walking into Camelot."

"What the hell are we wearing?" Leroy asked just as confused as everyone else, "Sneezy, what happened? How long were we gone?"

"Six weeks." he replied.

"What?" Regina whispered.

"Our memories, they're gone." David finally realized.

"Again?" Snow asked.

"Where's Emma?" Ariel asked, "I don't see her or Nicholas anywhere."

"Relax. I'm right here." Emma said frightening everyone. When they turned around, they couldn't believe it was her. Instead of her normal appearance, Emma had taken on her form as the Dark One. No longer was her golden hair let loose behind her back, now it was a sickly, pale white almost matching her skin color tied in an overly tight bun. And instead of wearing her casual clothes or anything like what the other ladies were wearing, she wore a tight black coat made out of what the others assumed to be dragon scales.

"Mom?" Henry asked, "What happened to you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, her voice now dark and hoarse, "You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me. And you failed." she said caressing her mother's cheek as Sneezy sneezed.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" she asked before turning him into a statue, "There's no Savior in this town anymore."

"Emma, stop." Regina pleaded, "That's enough."

"Or what?" she asked.

"Or I'll do exactly what you asked me to." she replied trying to find the dagger, only to realize she didn't have it anymore.

"Looking for this?" Emma asked raising it in the queen's face, "Nobody's gonna touch this dagger but me. Now, for what you all did to me, you're about to be punished."

"Emma," David asked trying not to show his growing fear, "Where's Nicholas?" But the fear only grew when he saw his daughter smirk at the question.

"Where is my brother, Swan?" Regina asked.

"Don't worry about him. He's already been punished. He's where he's always been." she calmly replied as she pulled out a long chain necklace with a glowing red stone attached to it, "Right here. Close to my heart."

It was then that everyone realized what she meant. The stone around Emma's neck was Nicholas's Philosopher's Stone and by extension, Nicholas himself!

"Why are you doing this?" Regina asked as she stared at her brother's life source.

"Because…I am the Dark One." Emma replied before poofing away in a cloud of black smoke.

 **Wow, seems things are a bit different than what you may have expected, huh? I'd really like some feedback on what you guys thought of Gilles cause I've been wanting to write his introduction for months. For those of you who liked him, you're in luck, he will come back soon and will have a very big role in the upcoming sagas. Here are some details concerning him.**

 **Gilles de Rais (a.k.a. Bluebeard)- played by Timothy Omundson.**

 **If his appearance was hard to picture, look up the scene from the tv series Supernatural where Cain meets Castiel and that's basically it with a hint of medieval to his clothes. You'll find that his personality is a bit of a blend between Cain and King Richard's from Galavant (both played by the same guy).**

 **And just to make this clear, the Bluebeard is in no way AT ALL like the Bluebeard from the anime Stay/Zero even though this version is a very tweaked version of the original story of Bluebeard (which I will explain once he comes back). I just want to make that clear.**

 **Also, there's a good chance that this may be the one and only time Merida makes an appearance in this story. I haven't fully decided yet, but if you want me to include I will. In fact, let me know where you stand on that through either a review a PM.**

 **That about covers it. If there's anything else you'd like to bring up or ask me, you know what to do. Hope you guys liked this (I know I did).**

 **See ya around!**


	51. The Price

**Okay, everyone here's another chapter for you. Let me know what you thought when you're done reading. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB**

The day after the heroes' worst fears came to life, the dwarves decided to do what normally came after a new curse was cast on the town: check the town line and the consequences upon crossing it.

"Come on." Leroy scolded, "Someone's got to see what this new curse does. Any volunteers?"

"I don't want to turn into a monkey." Happy defended.

"I like remembering who I am." Sleepy added.

"I'm afraid one of us is gonna have to dig down deep and find the courage to see what happens when we step over that line." Leroy stressed.

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Dopey." Leroy decided while his mute brother held up a notepad saying what the others said, "I'll take your silence as bravery. Good for you."

Just before Dopey could get his foot past the border, David, Snow and Regina sped over to them in the patrol car. "Stop!" Regina shouted as they got out.

"Sorry, sister. We can't stay in Storybrooke as long as Emma's the Dark One." Leroy defended, "Snow Queen, Pan, Trio of Terror. We can handle villains like that. But Emma? She was one of us. She knows how we beat bad guys. Hell, she beat most of the for us. So tell me, how do we stand against her, especially now that Flamel's out of the picture, too?"

"If you're dumb enough to cross the line, be my guest." Regina relented.

"Who's gonna save us if we stay? You?" he asked rudely before turning back to Dopey, "Go on. Do it."

Bracing himself, the mute dwarf stepped over the line and realized that he remembered everything and felt fine and even though he couldn't see them, he gave everyone a thumbs up."

"Now, if you'll excuse us." Leroy smirked before Dopey suddenly turned into a tree.

"Well, that's new." Regina remarked as everyone looked at the tree sadly.

 **OUaT**

Six weeks ago in Camelot, everyone looked around in awe at the castle's beauty. "Wow." Henry said.

"Wow, is right." David agreed.

"I am so not dressed for this." Snow muttered to her husband.

"His Royal Highness, King Arthur." one of the squires announced.

"And now allow me to introduce the loveliest creature in all of Camelot." Arthur said proudly to his guests, "My queen, Guinevere."

"Your Majesty." Snow bowed along with everyone else as the beautiful queen joined her husband.

"The pleasure is ours. We have been awaiting your arrival from the moment we heard Merlin's prophecy." Guinevere said kindly.

"Well, we hope you haven't been waiting too long." David joked.

"Only a decade or so." Arthur replied humorously.

"Ah, sorry." David chuckled.

"I'll wager it's been worth the wait. And as a bonus, it's given us more than enough time to prepare a ball in your honor tonight." he informed.

"Oh, see, told you we should come." Leroy said to Doc and Happy in excitement, "Look what we've been missing out on."

"I like any party I don't have to cater." Granny commented.

"So do we." Leroy agreed dryly.

"Is this really necessary?" Zelena asked Regina gripping the cuff.

"You're lucky you're not locked in Granny's freezer." she replied.

"Take it off." Zelena demanded, "Or I tell Arthur he just welcomed the Dark One into his-"

"What's that, sis?" Regina asked with a swift wave of her hand making her sister mute, "I can't hear you. No one here knows who we are, and it's gonna stay that way. So you can either behave and pretend to be my mute handmaiden or go back to Granny's where you can rely on Doc for prenatal care."

"We don't have time to waste on a stupid dance." Nicholas grumbled to Robin, "We need to get the darkness out of Emma and get back home as fast as possible. We've got less than three months left before the Promised Day."

"She's not going to go dark overnight. Relax." Robin muttered back, "Quartermain and the others will keep an eye on things while we're here. If we rush things, they may catch on to Emma being the you-know-what."

"We can't take the risk." Nicholas mumbled before addressing Arthur, "Your Majesty, when are we going to begin our quest to find Merlin?"

"Find him?" he asked, "We don't need to find him. We know exactly where he is."

Once they were led outside, the visitors tried to wrap their heads around what the monarchs of Camelot just told them.

"So, the most powerful sorcerer in all the realms is stuck inside a bloody tree?" Hook bluntly asked as they all stared at the large willow tree in the courtyard.

"I said the same exact thing the first time I stood there." Arthur nodded.

"And you think we can get him out?" Emma asked.

"We don't think. We know. Merlin's prophecies are never wrong. Why are you so eager to free him?" he asked.

"Our home is being threatened." David began to lie, "It's called the Dark One."

"The Dark One. Yes, we're well aware of that demon." Arthur nodded while Nicholas suppressed his anger and the unintentional insult towards Emma, "That is bad. Well, I pray Merlin can help. But, first, we must free him from his prison. It is said that one of you is the Savior. So which of you is it?"

"I-" Emma began only to be cut off and silence by Regina.

"I am the Savior." she lied while discreetly holding the dagger, "I'm the one who's going to free Merlin from that tree, and then we can take care of the Dark One. And all go home."

 **OUaT**

Out by the docks of Storybrooke all on his own, Henry mentally and emotionally prepared himself for what he was about to do. Taking a deep breath, he used the only way he could bring his mother to him without using her dagger.

"Emma Swan. Emma Swan. Emma Swan." he recited. Sure enough, as soon as he said her name the third time, she appeared next to him.

"Henry." she softly greeted trying to take his hand in hers only to see him pull away, "You don't have to be scared of me."

"What happened?" he asked, "Why are you like this now?"

"It's complicated." she replied.

"I'm sorry, Mom. Whatever happened in Camelot, I'm sorry we failed you." Henry apologized.

"I know what I said last night, but, Henry, you didn't fail me. Everyone else did." Emma softly corrected.

"Get away from my son." Regina demanded as she approached them.

"What's the matter, Regina? Are you afraid Henry will learn the truth about what happened in Camelot?" Emma asked darkly.

"If the truth is so important to you, why did you erase our memories? More importantly, why take my brother's Stone and make it an accessory?" she asked.

"It's a curse, Regina." Emma simply replied.

"I know, but what I can't figure out is why for either question."

"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't have erased your memories and Nicholas would be at your side asking similar questions." Emma countered.

"You know we won't stop until we get them back." Regina pointed out.

"It's not going to happen, Regina, because I did learn from you, and I built this curse without the one thing you need to break it; or rather, two things. A Savior and a meddlesome alchemist."

"Hmm." she calmly hummed, "Well, we'll find a way. We always have."

"Yes, with me and Nicholas." Emma reminded, "Now you're on your own."

"You can do it, Mom." Henry said to Regina in support, "You can be the Savior."

"It's not going to happen." Emma disagreed.

"You don't thing I have it in me?" Regina asked.

"I know you don't."

"Well, you're wrong." she disagreed, "I can protect this town."

"We'll see about that, because there's a problem headed to Storybrooke that only a Savior can solve. Too bad there isn't one." Emma taunted.

Elsewhere in Storybrooke, Robin met up with the other LXG agents and told them about what Emma said to everyone the previous night. Obviously, none of them were happy to hear that one of their own was now around the Dark One's neck or that they had just lost six weeks and the Promised Day was rapidly approaching. Seeing as Robin wasn't an official member of this team, he felt out of place as he stood in the room awkwardly while the other members sat in their respective chairs.

"Are you absolutely sure you saw Nicholas's Stone around her neck?" Nemo asked breaking the heavy silence, "Was it slightly glowing and looked as though there was a churning liquid inside? About the size of a small egg?"

"Yes." Robin nodded.

"That's his Stone, alright." Sawyer commented, "And you don't have a clue about what happened these past six weeks?"

"All any of us remember is approaching the gates of Camelot after Nicholas and I said our goodbyes to Bluebeard before Arthur showed up." he replied.

"There's no point in asking him to remember." Quartermain sighed, "It's a curse. We can ask him as many questions as we want, he's not going to remember anything."

"What are we supposed to do, then?" Skinner asked, "We can't just very well leave Nicholas like this."

"Then what do you suggest, _Rodney_?" Mina hotly asked, "He may have intended to tell everyone about us before Swan became the Dark One, but now that she is, and he's out of commission with the others' memories wiped in addition to an entire kingdom's population arriving here as well, how are we supposed to keep everything under control and get him back all at once?"

"Wait, what's this about a kingdom's population?" Robin asked.

"Your scouts contacted us this morning after having spotted a massive number of newcomers show up in the woods." she replied no less agitated, "Who happened to bear the coat of arms of Camelot on their persons. Having said that, there is also a very good chance at King Arthur being here, as well."

"I fail to see the issue with that, Dr. Harker." Robin replied.

"It's bad because Arthur has a small army of knights at his disposal. Knights he may order to help him take control if he feels his people are under threat because of Emma and her loved ones' choice not to harm her." Quartermain replied, "He's a leader. Worst of all, a king. And kings are easily provoked when it comes to their people's safety. Trust me, I know how they think. If given the choice between peace and war, they will choose war because they believe it will lead to peace."

"Here's a thought," Sawyer said, "Why don't we contact Bluebeard and see if he knows anything? His territory covers a bit of Camelot's borders. Maybe you guys ran into him again after you stopped him from taking Emma back to HQ."

"It's possible." Robin shrugged, "He is rather fond of Nicholas and if we tell him what's happened he'll-"

"No." Quartermain interrupted flatly, "No one is contacting anyone."

"But, Allan-" Nemo interjected only to be cut off.

"If anyone finds out that one of our own has been taken by the Dark One, things will escalate and we may no longer have any say in the decisions to come. Or worse, Nicholas will be seen as a liability and we might lose point in handling the Promised Day. There are plenty of other branches in the League who want that assignment and we only got it in the first place because of him."

"Well, at the very least, we can continue to prepare everything for when it does come and be ready for it." Robin reminded which made the others pause and look around at each other, "Guys? I don't like those looks. What aren't you telling me?"

"Well, uh…see, Nicholas was actually the one who took care of all that stuff." Sawyer sheepishly replied.

"What?!" he asked in shock.

"He wouldn't bother to explain everything to us because he said that it was alchemy stuff." Skinner defended, "Not to mention, since this whole ordeal is happening because of that Homunculus he befriended, he felt as though he should be the one to take care of the more complicated details. He was actually a bit of a control freak during that time."

"Is there anything he did let you do?" Robin asked losing his patience.

"Yeah, we can go as murderously crazy as we want against the enemy when the fighting starts." Sawyer bluntly replied, "Look, the situation involves alchemy, and Nicholas is _literally_ the only alchemist in the entire League. We couldn't step in to help him out because none of us has the knowledge or skills to pick up the pieces where he left off in case something like this happened. Besides, he's already gotten everything ready. All we need to do is keep our eyes peeled for the new fifth sacrifice and make sure that the others stay where we can see them and make sure that Nicholas is back before the fighting starts."

"Which is why I say that we should figure out a way to get him back and release him." Skinner stressed, "There's no telling how long this crisis will take and we're running out of time as it is. If we just sit around here twiddling our thumbs and wait for the 'heroes' to take care of things, the Promised Day will have already come and gone!"

"And how exactly do you think we should go about making his entire body form from that Stone, Skinner?" Mina asked, "Do you even know how the Dark One managed to do that in the first place?"

"Regina did say it was possible that Emma cast a preservation spell on it after taking it from him." Robin informed, "Only problem is, if that is the case, is that the spell was cast by a Dark One who also has Savior magic. Releasing him might prove to be difficult."

"What if we use water from Lake Nostos?" Nemo suggested, "Cora and Hook were able to revive it before they came here and our sources say it's still there. If we have headquarters send us some, we may be able to free Nicholas once we get the Stone away from Emma. All we would need to do is pour it on the Stone and the magic, if that's what's keeping him from regenerating, will be gone."

"I thought we just went through why we can't contact headquarters?" Sawyer asked reminding the captain.

"One of us could go." Robin suggested, "We have more than enough beans for a trip there and back. We don't necessarily need to tell anyone."

"Seems like this is our best option." Quartermain nodded, "Skinner's right. We can't leave Flamel as the Dark One's prisoner just so we can remain discreet for another month. He's one of us. Skinner, you'll be the one to head to Lake Nostos. You are to remain there until we send word that we have retrieved the Stone. If anyone tied to the League finds you and asks why you're there, tell them Flamel sent you to fetch the water for an experiment regarding a counter measure for the Promised Day."

"Right then." the Invisible Man nodded as he got up from his chair and left.

"Sawyer, take a team of Nemo's surveillance crew. Study the Dark One's patterns, _from a distance_. Report back regularly from the laboratories. Nemo, continue preparations for our counter attack for the Promised Day; make sure we have plenty of weapons and ammo. Harker, find any weaponized methods we can use that will be effective against Swan. If we don't have it, make it."

"With pleasure, Mr. Q." she calmly nodded as she and the others rose from their seats.

"Loxley, you'll have to pick up the slack now that Flamel's out of the game. If you see anything the others cannot handle, take it out. Anything related to the Homunculi, do not engage and report back to me immediately." he said to Robin.

"Understood, sir." the archer nodded, "What about you?"

"I'm keeping an eye on Arthur. I don't like that he's here at a time like this." he replied as he got up and grabbed his old duster coat, hat and riffle.

"What makes you say that?" Robin asked as he left.

"Hunter's intuition." he replied as the elevator took him up.

After informing the others what the Merry Men told Quartermain's team him about the newcomers, Robin joined them in providing the people of Camelot with tents, water and provisions in a clearing out by the woods.

"We covered the forest." Robin informed Regina as he carried a package of water, "I think we found everyone who came over. Regina. Regina?"

"Hmm?" she asked, "Oh, I'm sorry. I was just…"

"Thinking about Nicholas?" he asked, "Regina, everything will be fine. We'll get him back."

"That's not what I'm worried about." she replied, "What's got me thinking is how Emma managed to reduce him to his Stone in the first place. She said that he'd already been punished. Question is, what did he do? And why did she decide to go ahead and make him a piece of jewelry instead of making him run around in circles like she wants to do to us? It doesn't make any sense. And then there's what she told me earlier."

"What? What did she say?" he asked.

"She said nobody believes I can protect this town." she replied.

"That's not true." he denied, "Everybody knows how far you've come."

"Well, they may not see me as the Evil Queen anymore, but I need to prove to them I can be more. Forgiving me is one thing, but it doesn't mean they're ready to be led by me, ready to trust me. I need to show these people I can help them without my brother's help, and that, I'm not sure I can do."

"You can." Robin assured gently cupping her face, "Just have faith in yourself and others will, too."

He then pulled her in for a much needed hug. After he managed to console her, he went with his son to go find more firewood for the camps. As he did, even though his back was turned, he could tell something was behind him with the intent to kill. As Roland was about to cry out at his father, Robin skillfully drew his bow and shot the she-demon behind him in the eye with a cold glare.

"Robin?!" Regina asked as she, David, Snow, Hook, Ariel and Arthur went over to him.

"Stay back!" he barked surprising his friends, "I'm the one it's after. Get Roland out of here!"

"I've got him." Ariel nodded as she held the little boy. When the demon tried to swoop down at him again, Robin swung his bow and managed to cut the beast's face with the bow's dragon fang. Unfortunately, this only made it even more mad.

"Come on, then." he said his voice going dark as he disconnected the hooks and began to twirl one, "Let's dance."

As it made another attempt to strike, Robin flung the hook and watched as it missed first but pierced its shoulder as he pulled it back, sending the monster to the ground. Yanking his weapon out, Robin tucked them away as he began to run around the creature while shooting it with his smaller crossbows. However, the demon was able to ignore the pain and lunged at him, but just as it was about to grab hold of him, Robin released a blade from his boot and pierced the demon's chest while performing a backflip.

Everyone watched him in both amazement and shock. Never before had any of his friends seen him fight like this; clearly they underestimated him since he arrived in Storybrooke. When it flew back, he managed to surprise them even more by grabbing its arm, flipping it to the ground and delivered a powerful punch to its face. But no matter what he did, Robin was still nowhere near bringing the creature down. Instead of continuing to shoot or punch the creature that was after him for some reason, Robin made the smart choice in pulling out his hooks again and began to hack at the creature in almost a blur, roaring at it as he did so.

Finally coming out of her shocked daze, Regina threw several fireballs at the demon before using her magic to force it away so it could heal. One thing was certain, however, it was sure to be back soon.

"Mate," Hook said as he and the others stared at Robin, "How did you bloody do that?"

"Oh, you'll find I can do more than just shoot a bow." he smirked before looking serious, "We better get away from these people before it comes back. It may have been after me, but the last thing we need is to get them caught in the crossfire."

"I don't understand." Arthur interjected, "Why was that creature after you?"

"Something tells me," Regina said as she looked to Snow and David, "That your daughter might just have the answer."

 **OUaT**

When night fell back in Camelot, everyone readied themselves for the ball being thrown. In the tower they were staying in, Snow and David tucked their baby into his crib with Doc standing next to them.

"Now, if he gets fussy later, be probably just needs to be changed." Snow informed while she was wearing a ball gown and golden circlet while David was wearing a princely tunic that matched his wife's dress and black pants.

"Are you sure you don't want us to get Granny?" David asked the dwarf.

"If I go to the ball, I'll just get stuck being Grumpy's wingman." Doc waved off not liking the idea as Regina came in.

"I can watch him. I'm not going." she informed.

"But you have to. Everyone's expecting you." Snow argued.

"I should be figuring out how to free Merlin, not fox-totting my way across Club Medieval." Regina retorted stubbornly.

"Regina." Snow scolded like she did to her students.

"What?" she asked.

"The truth." Snow said.

"I can't go, alright? I can't."

"Because why?" Snow asked.

"Because…because I don't know how to dance." she admitted.

"Well, that can't be possible. You, Nicholas and I went to dozens of balls together." Snow debated.

"Where your father was more interested in dancing with his precious daughter than his wife. And every time Nicholas would try to ask me to dance when he saw me just sitting there, some horny noble would snatch him away so they try to get into his pants." Regina reminded in disgust.

"Oh," Snow realized, "That's why he always ended up looking freaked out by the end of the ball. That happened to him a lot, now that I think about it."

"I doubt Robin Hood will mind if you step on a few toes." David assured kindly.

"This isn't about Robin, is it?" Snow asked.

"People are expecting a Savior tonight, not an ex-evil queen." Regina admitted, "How will they ever believe I can free Merlin if I can't even convince them I know how to dance?"

"You can if we teach you." Snow smiled while David smirked.

"No." she denied.

"Doc." David ordered pointing at a nearby music box, "Your Majesty."

"Wait, sorry." Snow interrupted as he offered his hand, "The first thing my mother taught me about dancing, you have to learn to move in a dress; not a sensible pantsuit."

"Fine." Regina relented before dressing herself in one of her Evil Queen dresses. This of course earned some looks from the couple. "What?"

"It's a little…scary." David replied.

"What he means is," Snow clarified with a better choice of words, "If you want people to see you as the Savior, maybe you should go for something a bit less evil?"

Realizing her step-daughter had a point, Regina relented and poofed herself a lavender dress similar to Snow's.

"Now, that is perfect." Snow complimented.

"Alright, follow me. Just feel it. Step back with your left, alright?" David instructed before Regina bumped into him, "Oh, that's okay. That's alright. You're fine, you're fine. Ready? And, one, two, three."

"There you go." he praised as they both chuckled and danced, "Now, when we're done, everyone in Camelot will believe you're the Savior."

After Regina was all taken care of, Snow went on to help someone else prepare for the ball, someone she had been dying to help for the past thirty years; her precious golden-haired daughter. Now wearing a long dress that was pure white, Emma sat in front of a mirror as her mother put the final touches on a circlet made of white flowers for her as she reminisced about her past.

"I remember my first ball. I was eight years old when my mother said I was finally old enough to go. It was magical. All the lights, the music. And I remember thinking, 'I can't wait to someday share all of this with a daughter of my own'." Snow said fondly as Emma grabbed her hand.

"I'm glad I get to share it with you, too, Mom." she said sincerely.

"Alright," Ariel said happily as she joined her friends, "Let's get this show on the road."

As custom for a ball, the female guests were announced as their respective partners awaited them. Standing next to David were Robin, Hook and Nicholas. Robin decided to go for a more casual appearance and decided to settle for a white shirt under a green vest and black pants. No longer wearing his black leather from Storybrooke, Hook returned to his pirate's clothing with a long, black, leather coat over a blood-red vest and black leather pants; as an added bonus, he gave his namesake a polish and shine for his mermaid tonight. But when it came to Nicholas, everyone was impressed at how well he cleaned up. Instead of wearing his usual semi-casual clothes or what he had worn on adventures and in the book, he decided to dress properly for his first ball with Emma. He wore black pants and white gloves, as usual, but this time wore a royal red jacket with a touch of silver here and there proving to everyone his title as a lord. But he wouldn't be Nicholas if he hadn't decided to add an officer's sword to his appearance at his side.

"Presenting Lady Emma, Lady Mary Margaret and Lady Ariel." one of the squires announced as the three ladies walked down the grand staircase to their partners

"Emma, you look-" Nicholas began as he bowed to her.

"I know." she smirked having a hard time realizing it was her goofy alchemist under all that "properness" in front of her.

"Presenting the Savior." the squire announced as Regina revealed herself causing everyone to applaud, something that Regina hadn't been given in a very long time.

 **OUaT**

After managing to avoid the creature for the rest of the day, Robin found himself in Gold's shop after Belle contacted Regina and had her bring him over. It took some time, but the pretty bookworm was able to find out what it was that attacked the archer earlier.

"A fury?" Regina asked as Belle showed them an identical illustration.

"A demon sent from the Underworld to collect the unpaid price of magic." Belle explained.

"Someone use magic in Camelot and didn't pay up." Regina speculated.

"Then why is it after me?" Robin asked.

"The fury doesn't come for just any price. It comes when the price for magic is a life." Belle continued.

"You mean that demon has come to drag me down to the Underworld?" Robin asked, "Oh, how wonderful."

"Yeah, but the portal only opens when the moon reached the zenith. And there's only one way for it to stop coming after you. Someone else has to give their life in your place." Belle informed. This, of course, as many things do, made Regina's blood boil. So much that she decided to pay a visit to the Dark One's new home.

"Swan!" she bellowed storming in, "Where the hell are you?"

"You know, it's customary to bring a gift for a housewarming." Emma smirked from the doorway, "Maybe a nice bottle of wine."

"We need to talk." Regina spat.

"I suppose we could bottle that rage and drink it instead." she quipped.

"You're right, I'm not the Savior." the queen admitted.

"Glad you finally caught up with the rest of us." Emma remarked.

"I don't have a choice." she snapped, "I know the only way to stop the fury is to pay its price."

"Then why aren't you off paying it?" Emma asked sternly.

"Because I know what it is. A life. I won't sacrifice someone else to save Robin."

"Now you're going to be heroic?" Emma asked hotly, "Now life is precious to you?"

"Emma," Regina said shaking her head in pity, "Listen to me. I know you. The good you. It's still in there."

"You of all people know there are no good or bad versions of ourselves. It is just me." she spat angrily.

"Then call the fury off." Regina said calmly, "It's your test."

"No." Emma said flatly.

"No?"

"Let me make myself clear, Regina. I am done fixing your problems." Emma snapped.

"My problems?! You started this. You called it here." she accused.

"Oh, you think I did this?" Emma softly asked even though she was still angry.

"Would I be here otherwise?" she asked.

"That's your problem, Regina. You're always looking for someone else to blame. I did not summon that monster. The price is not mine to pay." snapped the former Savior.

"Then whose is it?" Regina scoffed thinking it was a lie.

"Yours." Emma growled making Regina back up with each step she took, "You were the one who did not pay the price of magic in Camelot. You want to save Robin Hood? You want everyone to believe you're the Savior? Then step up and do what needs to be done!"

 **OUaT**

As music and laughter filled the air of Camelot, all the happy couples danced through the night. For the first time in so many years, Nicholas could feel himself relax and not worry about the Promised Day. All he could think about right now was how beautiful his Swan looked as he held her close and danced with her. But as always, things couldn't be that simple for him, or anyone else for that matter.

As he danced with Emma, he heard Robin cry out his sister's name as he tackled one of Arthur's knights to the ground. At first, Emma was going to use her magic to stop it all, but Nicholas stopped her before he decided to use his shadows and kill the knight by impaling his chest. Unfortunately, he realized his comrade had injured himself during his scuffle. In order to keep prying eyes off of them, they took Robin into Merlin's tower so they could fix him.

"Can you heal him?" Snow asked trying to remain calm. Regina gave it a try, but for some reason, nothing happened when she used her magic.

"Why didn't it work?" David asked as Regina took a closer look at the sword originally intended for her.

"This sword was enchanted to kill me. My magic can't heal him." she said on the verge of tears.

"Let me take a shot." Nicholas offered as he took of his gloves. For a second, as his hands sparked with alchemic lightning, it seemed as though it was going to work. Unfortunately, it rebounded and ended up harming Nicholas instead.

"Gah!" he cried out in pain as he clutched his hand, "Okay. Magical blades make magical wounds. Guess my alchemy can't heal him either."

"But your magic can." Regina said looking at Emma.

"No." Nicholas interjected, "No, we can't let her use dark magic."

"Regina, this was the whole point of your pretending to be the Savior." Snow reminded.

"The whole point was not for Robin to die." she argued, "And I'm not asking you. I'm asking her."

"I don't know what will happen if I use my powers again." Emma argued looking afraid.

"I can use that dagger to make you do this, but I'm not. I'm asking you. I've lost love before, and I won't again. Please. Save him." she begged.

"Alright." Emma nodded, "I'll try."

"Attagirl." Rumple praised as he appeared in a chair in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked confusing the others.

"I've told you, I'm here to help you embrace the darkness." he replied.

"Emma, honey, who are you talking to?" Nicholas asked.

"No one." she lied approaching what seemed to everyone else an empty chair.

"This is too much for her." he snapped.

"I'm fine. I can do this." she assured.

"Not yet, dearie. First you must take a price for the magic." Rumple informed.

"I won't take one to save somebody." she flatly argued.

"Well, sorry, dearie, but these are the rules." he giggled, "I didn't make them up. There has to be a price."

"Fine. I'll pay it."

"It doesn't work that way." he giggled again before pointing at Regina, "She asked for the magic, she has to pay it."

"It'll be different. I'm the Savior." she said only hear him giggle a third time.

"Emma, who are you talking to?" Regina asked, "What's going on?"

"It's okay. I can do this." she assured. With a slow wave of her hand, the wound was gone and Robin gasped for breath. Happy to see her soulmate alive, Regina rushed over to him and happily kissed him. For some reason other than to celebrate, Emma pulled Nicholas in for a kiss, too.

"Emma," he asked in concern as they pulled apart, "You okay?"

"I'm fine." she nodded, "I feel a little woozy. I think I'll lie down for a bit."

After leaving her loved ones in the other room, Emma tried to collect herself in the hallway. But Rumplestiltskin wouldn't leave her alone. "You liked the power, didn't you?" he asked.

"No. I just did what had to be done." Emma denied.

"Oh, well, if that were true, then why didn't your kiss stop that?" he asked pointing at her hand. Much to her fear, the skin on her hand began resemble his. "Tasty, isn't it, the darkness?"

Emma said nothing to him. Instead, she just went downstairs and headed to her room hoping her wouldn't continue to pester her.

 **OUaT**

As night fell on Storybrooke, the heroes joined Robin as he decided to no longer run from the demon after his soul. As soon as it saw him, the fury summoned the ferry of the dead while it used its magic to try and take his life. But Regina wasn't going to let it.

"No!" she cried, "If you want a life, take mine!"

Having no qualms with that, the fury directed her attack on Regina and began to slowly take away her life force.

"Regina, what are you doing?!" Robin cried.

"What I should have done in Camelot!" she shouted. But Robin wouldn't allow it, so he decided to share the burden with her by grabbing hold of her hand. It was then that Snow decided to join in.

"You don't have to do this alone. I'm with you!" she declared as she took Regina's other hand.

"Me, too!" David shouted as he took his wife's hand.

"I've got you, sister!" Leroy said to Regina as he grabbed Robin's hand and Arthur grabbed David's with Hook and Ariel following. Biting off more than it could chew, the fury screamed one last time as their combined energy drove it away back to the Underworld with the ferry in tow.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked as she crawled over to Robin.

"It appears you found a few believers." he chuckled while panting which earned him a kiss, "How did you all know that would work?"

"Lucky guess." she chuckled.

"We weren't gonna let you go." David panted.

"Standing up to that monster proved one thing," Leroy said looking at Regina, "If anyone's gonna save this town, it's you."

"Aye, love." Hook nodded, "He's right."

"And you've got us to help." Ariel smiled.

Later that night, in her new home, Emma sat alone in her dark kitchen looking at two things with a fond, dark smile; her dagger and Nicholas's Philosopher's Stone. Tracing her finger over the glowing source of life, she closed her eyes and focused inward until she found herself in a completely different place.

Instead of her house in Storybrooke, Emma was now in the ruins of a stone castle in the middle of a scorching hot, sunny desert. In front of her was a broken mural with moss growing over the rubble and edges with a single caged cart sitting before it. Walking towards the bars, she stopped just as an arm shot out between them and tried to grab her. Inside the cage, was Nicholas wearing the same clothes he wore in the book with a bloodthirsty look on his face.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance." he hissed in hate.

"Funny," Emma smirked, "I was just about ready to say the exact same thing. Things are a bit less fun in Storybrooke now that you're out of the way."

"Then why don't you let me out and you and I can pick up where we left off in Camelot?" he asked gripping the bars tightly.

"I may be bored, but I'm not stupid." Emma reminded still smirking like a Dark One, "However, I could let you out for a moment so that we can have another type of fun."

"I'd rather get forty lashes." he spat.

"Such hostility. Such fire." she teased, "You really know what to say to a woman, don't you?"

Nicholas's reply to the banter was him spitting in her face, but Emma didn't seem to mind in the slightest. "I will get out of here, Dark One." he promised softly, "One way or another, I will get out. And when I do, I'm going to finish you, once and for all."

"But, Nicky, how could you say that?" Emma asked with a fake pout, "Don't you love me, anymore?"

"You're not my Emma anymore." he growled past his gritting teeth, "I do not love you. I hate you!"

"But I am Emma." she sweetly retorted, "In time, you and the others will accept this, accept me. And when you do, I'll let you out and we can be together, forever."

"Oh, I will get out." he nodded calmly as his eyes began to turn red again, "And when I do, I will TEAR YOU TO PIECES! I will destroy you, if it's the last thing I do."

"No," Emma disagreed while smiling at him before returning to her house. Taking her dagger and the Stone with her, she headed downstairs into a cavern beneath her home and rested the blade on a large stone. In the stone, standing proud and tall was the other half of the source of her power, Excalibur.

"I'm the one who's going to destroy you." she softly said to the Stone in her hand.

 **Well, it seems like Nicholas and Emma are having a bad case of couple's dispute, huh? Really makes you wonder what happened to them in Camelot, doesn't it?**

 **Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.**

 **Oh, and before I finish up, I do want to clarify my changes to what happened to Robin in this chapter. Considering that I've made him an agent of LXG in this story, and given what I made him do in his fight with Nicholas and the others, I couldn't very well let him just get taken away by the fury as easily as it originally happened in the show. Wouldn't make much sense if I did.**

 **Any who, I'll try to get the next one up by tomorrow, so stay tuned!**


	52. Siege Perilous

**Alright, next one before the last for awhile, hopefully. If things are what they're supposed to be, I'll be working this week so that'll take time away from story. I make no promises, but I hope to have the next one done by sometime tomorrow as well. So, with that in mind, I hope all of you can wait for chapters to come when that does happen and trust me, I'll keep them entertaining for you.**

 **So for now, enjoy and please, do let me know what you thought in your reviews and if you have any questions, ask away. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

At the top of Merlin's tower, David watched in confusion as he held his son while the ladies, save for Ariel, and Nicholas (who was now wearing his usual Enchanted Forest clothes) move around the shelves and books as they looked for ways to free Merlin from his prison.

"If we're gonna free Merlin, we need witchbane." Regina informed.

"Yeah, but the labels are all faded." Belle pointed out.

"Forget the decloaking potion. It's not a glamour anyway." Emma waved off.

"You sure?" Regina asked.

"If I'm getting this right, the tree could actually be him transfigured, right?" Snow asked as she read one of the books.

"We could find out with a sample." Belle suggested.

"Yeah, and when we snap off and it turns into a finger, who's crying then?" Regina asked, "Come on, someone. Witchbane."

"You following any of this?" David asked Nicholas.

"The whole concept of turning a man who turned into a tree back into a man? No." he flatly replied, "But just grabbing certain ingredients and using somewhat scientific equipment to brew something capable of freeing him? That's somewhat my area. I mean, this is as close to basic alchemy as magic gets."

"How come Ariel isn't helping? Hook I can understand because it's a two hand job, but-"

"Oh, great idea!" Nicholas said with a sarcastic smile, "Let's ask the girl who uses forks to comb her hair in the middle of dinner and thinks corkscrews are as valuable as gold for help in handling ancient magical ingredients that could level a mile radius. That's a great idea, David!"

"I was just wondering." he defended.

"You guys sure you don't want me to just wiggle my nose and get him out of that tree?" Emma asked.

"No." Snow instantly denied.

"Your magic is dark now. It's not worth it." Regina reminded, "I'll just keep pretending to be the Savior destined to free him, and we can do this together."

"I actually wouldn't mind if you did wiggle your nose like that, it'd be kinda cute." Nicholas muttered to Emma playfully. She may have smacked him for that, but she did it while smiling.

"Regina's right, Emma" David agreed.

"I heard someone say a woman is right." Arthur said as he came into the room, "That's always a safe assumption, isn't it, David? How are you progressing, Madame Savior?"

"Um, progress. Slow but sure." Regina replied.

"It's uh, marvelous having Merlin's own books to work with." Belle brought up changing the subject, "It's like talking with the master."

"Oh." Snow spoke up with an idea, "What if we could talk to him?"

"Snow, you can talk to _birds_ , not _trees_ , remember?" Nicholas pointed out.

"No, she's on to something." Regina defended, "You are, very occasionally, a genius."

"Yes," Belle nodded, "If we talked to him, he can tell us how to get him out."

In her excitement, Regina flipped through a book and pointed at an illustration of a red mushroom. "A mushroom." David nodded unimpressed as he bounced his son in his arms.

"Toadstool, actually." Regina corrected, "Deadly poison. Extremely useful in communicating across barriers, even through spells. Says here it's called the crimson crown."

"Yes, I know this name." Arthur nodded, "It's rumored to grow in Broceliande, the forest of eternal night. Its existence is the stuff of legend, though. Almost certainly fiction."

"People say the same thing about us. How far?" David asked looking excited.

"A half day's ride. But if it is there, it'll be protected by magical forces." he warned.

David looked at his wife but she didn't seem as sold on the idea as he was. "You know what, David? Wait until we know more."

"Snow, it's not like I'm needed here. It's a chance." he said as he handed he the baby before heading out, "I'm taking it."

"Hold." Arthur called with Nicholas following him.

"Your Majesty. Don't try to talk me out of this." David said as he pressed on.

"I wouldn't dream of it." he replied with a friendly smile, "I just wanted you to propose, Prince David, if it's quite alright with you, that I and Lord Flamel come along and lend aid. Come along with me, and we can get ourselves outfitted and then we can all quest together as brothers."

"Yeah," Nicholas nodded with a fake smile at David as Arthur walked away, "You know, as long as you don't stab me in the back, again."

That right there was more than enough to take away David's smile and good mood. Instead, a frown and guilt replaced them as he followed the alchemist and king.

 **OUaT**

Standing in the station alone, David tried to relieve some of his stress by throwing darts. After throwing the last one, he walked over to grab them all but stopped when he saw a picture of him and Emma smiling and hugging against the patrol car. It managed to make his heart ache and feel warm at the same time. All he wanted was his princess back, not the villain she had become. His thoughts were soon interrupted by King Arthur walking in.

"Good morning to you, sheriff." he greeted.

"Your Majesty. How can I help you? Any luck finding your blade?" the former shepherd asked.

"No luck, finding Excalibur, I'm afraid, but I'm coming to you with something far more urgent. Our reliquary's been robbed." Arthur informed.

"I'm sorry, your what?" David asked.

"Magical relics collected by the knights of the Round Table. They're all very precious." he informed, "I had no idea it was here until it turned up in this land nearly empty."

"When you say precious-"

"There was a magic bean inside. This bean can take my people home in an instant." he replied which told David how important it was, "I have to tell you I will find it if I have to search every residence in your city."

"You don't have to do anything alone." David informed.

"You can help?" he asked.

"I'll get you back to Camelot. I promise." David promised as they shook hands.

 **OUaT**

Seeing as Nicholas really didn't need anything more than just a sword and his gloves, he was ready to go after transmuting his red coat again. All he needed was the gloves he left back in the tower, but instead of finding them, he found his sisters had just finished arguing, again.

"You can tell me life is fair all you want, but from in here, all I can see is one sister with all the toys!" Zelena shouted before their sister silenced her again.

"Be quiet and listen for once in your life." Regina said as Nicholas listened from the doorway, "You forgot who I am; the Evil Queen. I can be a far greater nightmare than you can possibly imagine. But now, my gift to you is a promise. I will make sure your baby is fine and loved and safe. Just as I promise the same will certainly not hold for you."

"What was that about?" he asked Zelena after Regina left. She didn't answer him, she just ignored him while trying to fight back the tears. "Ah. I think I see. Have anything you want to say to me? I'll listen."

But she glared at him while gesturing to her mouth furiously. "You can still move your mouth, Zelena. I can read your lips. What did Regina say?"

" _Oh, the usual."_ she mouthed, " _How when my baby's born, she's going to take it away from me and kill me so I can never have a chance at happiness or love!_ "

"I can assure you, that's not going to happen." he calmly replied earning an eye roll, "You can roll your eyes at me all you want, but it's the truth. Yeah, you may not be able to go back to Oz with it and raise it yourself like you want, but you will be in its life; just as Robin will, and Regina, and me, as well."

" _Why do you care? It's not like I've been sister of the year to you since we_ _met_." she scoffed.

"Well, that is certainly true, no arguments here." he nodded dryly, "But, unlike Regina, _I'm_ willing to give you a chance at being part of this family. You're my sister, too, ya know. You weren't the only one who felt a connection that day."

Now this certainly gained Zelena's attention. It went against her better judgement, but she actually listened to her brother and hoped he meant what he was saying. "Look, I know that this isn't anyone's ideal situation, but I'm not going to let Regina make it even worse by getting rid of you as soon as the baby's born; nor, am I going to let you muck it up by leaving for singing-midget land as soon as it's born, either.

" _Why?_ " she mouthed as his words touched her heart.

"Because besides Regina, you're the only blood I've got left. You're still my family, my sister. And I'm willing to try, even if you're not. Are you?" he asked looking into her eyes that were brimming with tears. Not caring that some managed to spill out, she nodded her head while biting her lip. He knew she meant it, but he also knew it was a bit too soon for her to be ready for a hug so instead, he took one of her hands in both of his and gave her a caring smile before he left with his gloves.

When he joined up with Arthur and David in the room holding the round table, Arthur slid open a secret door in the wall to show off his various weapons. He had to admit, it was an impressive collection, but David seemed a bit more impressed than need be.

"Wow." he said in marvel of the shiny swords.

"I like to be prepared." Arthur smirked as they each grabbed a sword. While Nicholas grabbed a pair of knives, both he and Arthur noticed David staring at a seat that no longer bore a coat of arms.

"Is that Percival's chair?" he asked thinking of the knight Nicholas killed.

"Yes. But no more apologies. A leader does what needs to be done." Arthur replied.

"Apologies?" Nicholas thought, "I never apologized once. The jerk tried to kill my sister and nearly killed my friend in the process."

"I'll find a man worthy to fill that seat." he continued before pointing to the largest chair of them all, "This is the one that will stand empty forever."

"I assume that was your chair. Suitable for a king." David praised.

"No. Mine is no different than the others in the same way that the table is round. Many of our order are kings and princes in their own realms. Nevertheless, happy to sit shoulder to shoulder with the rest of their knights. No one of us above the other. Except for this one." Arthur explained as he gestured to the single unique chair, "This is the Siege Perilous. Reserved for the knight with the purest heart, the one destined to carry out the most sacred quests. Belonged to a man I trusted more than a brother. But he betrayed me. It's been vacant since."

"Lancelot." David nodded.

"You've heard of him." Arthur chuckled in distaste.

"Well, all of you are kind of legends." he replied.

"Really? I shudder to think what our tale must be." Arthur cringed.

"Oh, only one of the greatest romances of all time." Nicholas replied, "Your love for Guinevere was ripped away by your best friend, Lancelot."

"It's a tragic story that clearly had a happy ending." David added.

"Well, he hasn't died by a lake while dealing with a knight that wouldn't listen to him, yet." Nicholas bluntly thought.

"The two of you seem like all that's in the past now."

"Yes." Arthur nodded, "Lancelot was a good man. The situation was difficult."

"I understand. Actually, Snow-Mary Margaret and I, we met him." he informed.

"You did? How is he?" Arthur asked only to see his new friend's looks change.

"We're very sorry to tell you this, but we learned that he died." David informed.

"He's dead?" Arthur asked, "How? By whom?"

"By my mother." Nicholas cringed, "The sorceress, Cora. I-I am very sorry. She, uh…well, Mother was always a bit eccentric. I'm sorry."

"Lancelot failed to resist temptation, but he was a good knight. He tortured himself for his sins far more than I would've done. I wished him happy. Just not with my wife." Arthur said sadly over the loss of his brother-in-arms as a squire came in with a heavy chest and set it on the table, "Careful. This is our reliquary, containing our sacred magical items our knights have recovered."

"I've never seen magic like that." David said as he and Nicholas looked in the chest. Out of everything in there, Arthur removed a severed black arm that held an ever burning torch.

"It's the Unquenchable Flame. Said to be part of the burning bush itself." he explained, "This will light our path, and where we're going, we're gonna need it."

 **OUaT**

"The reliquary, Your Majesty." one of Arthur's squires presented at the camp. Sure enough, Arthur was right, a majority of what was once there was gone.

"So you're the one who found this broken into? Any theories?" David asked.

"Me?" he asked, "Oh, well, um, everyone speaks of the Dark One in this place. Perhaps-"

"Stop being a fool, man." Arthur scolded.

"Arthur, to be honest, after what she did to Nicholas, it wouldn't surprise me." David admitted reluctantly.

"And, as you're about to say, the Dark One doesn't need tools. This lock was pried open." Arthur informed, "You can see the scratches. This is your land. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I may not know who did this. But I may have a good idea of what their next move will be."

 **OUaT**

In the forest of eternal night, the three men walked through the shadows with nothing more than their single torch to guide them. "What is it, noon? You weren't kidding about eternal night. I'm glad we have a torch." David remarked.

"Yes, because it's a very illuminating light amongst this darkness." Nicholas said sarcastically.

"I'm glad we sent Griff home with the horses." Arthur nodded hoping to avoid an awkward situation, "These woods would make them restless."

"Your squire works hard, Your Majesty." David hinted.

"And you don't thank him enough." he chuckled, "I can hear you say it even when you don't. You're right, though. I don't even have the excuse of ignorance. I was born a common man and I've been in service myself."

"You weren't born noble?" David asked.

"I'm as peasant as they come." he laughed.

"Shepard." David informed as they high-fived.

"I can feel my backbone relaxing already. How 'bout you, Lord Flamel?" Arthur asked causing David's eyes to widen as they stopped.

"…Born noble, became a slave at the age of four and stayed as such until I was fourteen." Nicholas replied not sharing their happy attitude.

"I am so sorry." Arthur said wanting to kick himself, "I-I shouldn't have-"

"No, no, it-it's alright. You didn't know." Nicholas waved off with a sad smile before giving an awkward chuckle, "Well, I certainly managed to make this place seem even more dark, didn't I?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to take credit for that." the king corrected causing them to chuckle and move back to the subject of his squire, "As for my squire, I assure you both Guin more than makes up the difference. Showering him and the others with gifts. She really is the kindest woman I've ever met."

"Sounds like my wife." David nodded, "When she decides you're family, she'd die for you."

"That's not to say Guin doesn't hav her fierce side." Arthur warned, "With a bow and arrow, I've seen her take out the eye of a dove in flight."

"Snow could do that." David nodded, "She wouldn't, but she could."

"Emma slayed a dragon, once." Nicholas added with a smirk knowing he won that round, "And she definitely has a fierce side of her own, too. I'm just glad she didn't take after her father too much."

David nearly tripped when he heard the jab at him. Given the age difference, or lack of, he and his wife had between their daughter, that was another secret they decided to keep from their hosts. Quite frankly, he should've realized Nicholas was going to use that against him at some point during this journey.

"Why is that?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, God, no." David mentally pleaded.

"Oh, he's a real moron." Nicholas insulted before the avalanche started, "Always thinks he's right, real full of himself, the guy rarely thinks before he acts and takes forever to keep up with everyone else. Also quick to jump to _conclusions_ , too."

"He's never gonna let me live that down." David sighed in his head, "Enough is enough. This had to end."

Tripping over a nearby rock intentionally, David fell to the ground while Nicholas continued to discreetly insult him. "Are you alright, David?" Arthur asked in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tripped over something. Guess it's hard to tell where you're going in a place called the forest of eternal night, huh? I think I broke my boot, Nicholas, do you mind fixing it?"

"I'll go on ahead and see if I can locate our prize." Arthur said before leaving them.

"Broken boot? Really?" Nicholas asked flatly.

"When is this going to stop?" David asked exasperated, "How long are you going to hold what happened over my head? Nicholas, I have apologized over-"

"Actually, you haven't." he snapped, "It's everyone else who has. Emma did, Snow did, Archie did, Leroy, the dwarves, Granny, Ruby, even Marco did and he didn't really do anything. You, however, are literally the only one who has yet to apologize for what you did to me."

"It was two years ago! Can't you let it go?!" David asked loudly.

"No, because it's still hurts!" Nicholas retorted making David silent, "I trusted you. I risked the already rocky relationship I had with my sister back then to help you guys more times than you can count. Yes, I didn't stop her from casting the curse that took you away from Emma, but I apologized for that and tried to make up for it. I would've thought that proved to you that I saw you guys as friends. And the fact that you turned on me without believing for even a second that I was set up, hurt me to the core! I thought you were my friend and you treat me like garbage after everything I'd done not even apologize?! You're lucky I'm not treating you worse! God knows you deserve it."

David couldn't bring himself to say anything for he knew the alchemist was right. He had more than enough chances to apologize since Nicholas started helping them again after Cora's death, he just never took one. He had been lying to himself that everything was okay with the man he truly did consider his friend once. How self-absorbed he was not to realize the wound he inflicted was still festering in his…in Nicholas.

"And by the way," Nicholas said as he came to a stop while storming off, "The only reason why I haven't beaten you to your knees to get back at you is because I'm dating your daughter. If I wasn't, I would've paid you back months ago. You were a lousy friend, Nolan. A real lousy friend."

"My friends," Arthur alerted as he rejoined them, "I found it!"

Once he led them through the darkness and mist, they came to a dark lake with a floating bridge leading to the Crimson Crown. "Look upon that, my brothers."

"So it is real." David said with hope before stepping onto the weakened boards, "It'll never take all three of us. I'll go."

"It can hold me just as fine. I'll get it." Nicholas argued.

"I think I'll just wait here. Let the torch be your beacon back." Arthur chuckled at the competitors.

 **OUaT**

Back in Storybrooke, David and Arthur stopped by the pawn shop in hopes that Belle would be able to provide them with any useful information regarding the thief. When they arrived, they found her staring at the wilting rose tied Gold's life force.

"How's he doing?" David asked.

"Not well." Belle replied with a brave face.

"I'm sorry." he apologized.

"Yeah. But I found a healing spell in one of his old notebooks, and I've got everything put together except for one last ingredient. I need an object that touched him when he was still a man, before he became the Dark One." she informed.

"You must have something." David observed.

"Well, nothing I can find." she replied, "Still more to look through, though."

"You want me to get you some help?" he offered.

"No. I mean, I'm the only one who knows this place, knows his things, and I need to keep doing something." Belle sighed.

"Well, then we'll make this quick. Has anyone come in to pawn anything today?" he asked.

"Especially a magic bean." Arthur added.

"Uh, a bean?" she asked, "No. No one's come in. Sorry."

"Ah, it was worth a shot. If we had Nicholas around, we could probably get him to smell it out for us." he dryly joked before looking at a chalice and getting an idea, "But you have something else I need. May I borrow this?"

"Uh, yeah." Belle agreed even though she was a bit confused.

"Good. This is gonna point us right at our culprit." he said to Arthur.

"What is it?" the king asked.

"It's not magic, though." Belle warned, "It's just a souvenir from Doc's birthday party. It even says 'Doctoberfest' on it."

"I'm very well aware." David lightly chuckled, "Don't worry. I've got this."

As they headed back to the camp, Arthur decided to ask the question that popped in his head back in the shop. "So, this Nicholas you mentioned. Was he a dog that helped you as sheriff?"

"Uh," he laughed, "No, no, not a dog. He, uh…I wanna say he was my friend, but I don't think I have the right."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked.

"You see, Nicholas is actually Regina's younger brother and the man who's seeing my daughter. You might've heard of him, his name's Nicholas Flamel, the Immortal Alchemist."

"Yes, I believe I heard tales once of an alchemist with that name." he nodded, "Is-is that true? I mean, he's not actually immortal, is he?"

"Oh, trust me, he is." David nodded as he thought of the gruesome displays he's seen over the years.

"Why don't you think you have the right to call yourself his friend? Is he a bit of a prude?" Arthur asked.

"No, he's a complete smartass, but he's actually a nice guy. It's about something I did to him once." David replied with guilt in his voice, "Back before the first curse, my wife and I, we were on the run from his sister back when she was still the Evil Queen. Out of the kindness of his heart, he helped us escape from her more times than I could count. He considered us his friends."

"Were you not?" he asked.

"…At first, we only pretended to be so we could stay out of Regina's clutches. But as time went on, we began to see the good in him and saw him as a trusted friend, as well; that is, until the curse hit. Even though we had no idea who we really were, Nicholas still treated us like we were still his friends from the Enchanted Forest and tried to bring a little happiness out in us even while cursed. Then when the curse broke, we, uh, did something we're not proud of."

"What was it?" Arthur asked as the story took him in.

"A little while after my daughter broke the curse, Regina and Nicholas were framed for two different murders; one real, the other…not so much. Instead of giving either of them a chance, we let our past hatred for Regina and the things she'd done cloud our judgement. And in the process, we lumped Nicholas in it all, too. We forgot everything he did for us and automatically passed judgement on him; we even went as far as to convince everyone else he was guilty, too. And when we found out they had been framed, it was too late. Nicholas had been hurt so bad, the only one he could forgive was Emma, the one person who reached out and tried to mend things."

"Oh." was all Arthur could say as they walked.

"Then we just kept facing one crisis after another. But even during all that turmoil, everyone who turned their backs on him managed to apologize down the road; everyone but me." David admitted shamefully.

"Why didn't you? If you don't mind my asking?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I have a good enough answer for that." David replied, "I mean, he did try to kill my wife after she killed his mother, so that might have made me think I didn't need to apologize. But as time went on, he continued to prove to everyone again that he was a good person. I guess, looking back now, I was too ashamed to admit that I did him wrong and thought as time went on, he would forget about the whole thing and move past it. But I know that's not the case. He'll resent me forever unless I apologize, and he has the right to. I was a horrible friend to him, and now that I can't tell him since he's Emma's prisoner, I feel like I missed my last chance."

"When Lancelot betrayed my trust after he tried to take Guinevere, I, too resented him for a long time." Arthur said hoping his story would give his new friend some clarity, "But, as time went on and as I patched things up with Guinevere, I realized that while he was sorry for what he had done, I was the one who couldn't forgive myself for letting things end the way they did. And now, my friend is dead. I can't apologize to him, but you still have a chance make things right with yours. Don't be like me, when the next chance comes, take it. You'll soon realize that as long as you and your friend live, it's never too late to make amends."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." David nodded in respect.

"Arthur." he corrected kindly as they stopped walking before reaching the camp, "Just Arthur. Alright? No more 'Your Majesties' anymore."

"Okay." he said smiling. He may have not been able to patch things up with one friend yet, but it was nice to know he found a new one. Once they made it to the camp, Arthur gathered his subjects and listened as David began his plan.

"Attention, subjects of Camelot! In my hand, you see the Chalice of Vengeance. There's been a theft in your encampment." David lied as he held up the cup while the people muttered to each other, "The chalice will tell me which among you is the thief. So, line up for your chance to drink from the sacred cup."

When he was done speaking, Griff, the squire from before, ran away to the nearest horse and rode off. Needing no further proof, the two royals rushed over to David's truck and chased after the thief. After a short lived escape, Griff was caught by the dynamic duo and brought back for questioning.

 **OUaT**

Once they finished shoving past each other at the end of the bridge, the former friends reached for the Crimson Crown at the same time. Looking back at each other at the same time, David pulled out his knife with a smug look thinking he won. But Nicholas just gave him an unimpressed look before turning his right middle finger into a spear which cut the mushroom with just a simple flick.

"Say hello to my little friend." he grinned while wiggling his finger and flipping him off at the same time. But David still swiped the mushroom and stuffed it into his satchel with a victorious grin. As they were about to cross the bridge again, Nicholas noticed something peculiar. Rusty, old, muck covered suits of armor began to rise from the water with their weapons primed and ready.

"Uh, David?" he asked, "I think we're about to have another 'Walking Dead' moment."

As he said this and drew his own sword, David was busy holding off one of the suits before decapitating it. But of course, it still went after him even without its head.

"You think?!" he asked as they fought the undead knights. When they realized fighting them wouldn't do any good, they both nodded at each other before trying to make a break for it. Unfortunately, David's ankle was grabbed by another armor while Nicholas continued to run ahead. When he was pulled down into the black water, Nicholas groaned in frustration before jumping in to save his girlfriend's father.

When he saw them drag David further down into the depths of the lake, Nicholas swam down to the bottom first where he used his alchemy to create spikes rise from the ground and impale the suits while David was left unharmed. Grabbing his arm as he slowly slipped away, Nicholas brought him up to the surface where Arthur offered him his hand to pull them up.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

"Funny." Nicholas panted sarcastically as David emptied his lungs of the water. As he caught his breath, he couldn't help but stare at the soaking wet alchemist.

"I sucked as a friend." he finally confessed.

"What?" Nicholas asked finding it odd that he would say that now of all times.

"You were right; I was a lousy friend to you." David continued as they laid on dry land, "I should've believed you when you said you didn't kill that girl. I treated you like crap despite everything you did for us. I'm sorry, Nicholas. I'm sorry."

"…I'd say water under the bridge, but even _I_ think it's a bit too soon for that." he replied before laughing at what just happened. Sure enough, David joined in when he saw the humor in it, as well. "At least we got the mushroom."

As David as about to reach for it, he realized that his satchel was empty which meant the Crimson Crown was gone. "David, what is it?" Arthur asked as the prince patted himself down in panic.

"The toadstool. It's gone." he said as he rose to his feet, "Either the phantom knights took it, or it was lost in the bog."

"We could search for it." Arthur suggested.

"No." David said throwing down the empty bag, "It's gone."

"Dammit!" Nicholas shouted as David fell to his knees in defeat. Seeing his friends in distress, Arthur made an attempt to life their spirits.

"The word quest means to seek, not to find. It's the seeking that matters."

"You believe that?" David asked.

"Not truly, no." he admitted.

"What the hell kind of pep talk is this?" Nicholas asked.

"If the finding is what makes a difference in this world, then that's what I want." Arthur continued which made both him and David laugh. Nicholas, however, didn't get the humor in what he said. He just wrote it off as a knight thing.

"My father, he drank his life away and my brother accomplished nothing but evil." David brought up, "There was a time I thought I'd be different. Change the world. But, I just…I don't want to only be remembered as the man who kissed a sleeping princess awake thirty years ago."

"Who would?" Nicholas muttered.

"I understand." Arthur chuckled as he sat with them.

"You do?" David asked, "You're king of Camelot."

"Yes, some large rock decided I was a hero. Prophecy fulfilled." he laughed, "But since then, I've had victories and I've had losses. And I've learned that it's the losses that require us to be brave. So, if anything will make us heroes…"

"It's the never giving up. Even after a loss." David nodded.

"Indeed." Arthur replied.

"Well, as much as this little bro-mance moment has been heartwarming for all of us, I say we get the hell out of here." Nicholas suggested as he jumped to his feet.

"Agreed. There's work to be done. And it's not here." David said helping Arthur up.

"Good man." Arthur praised, "David, Nicholas, if either of you want to be part of something, do something that matters, I have just the place for men like you."

"Pass." Nicholas turned down before the king could finish his offer.

"Why not?" Arthur chuckled.

"Because you guys are call 'the _knights_ of the Round Table.' Changing it to 'the knights and an alchemist of the Round Table' just isn't as catchy." he replied with a grin which made the other two laugh.

 **OUaT**

Back at the camp, David and Arthur stared at Griff with cold, hard looks. "I never saw a bean." he defended.

"Just forget the bean for now." David waved off, "Just tell us why you took these things."

"I was tired of how I was being treated. How we were all being treated. Breaking our backs for him, for the love of Camelot. I wanted to hurt the king." he confessed while glaring at Arthur in hate.

"Griff, I had no idea. But, you see, you've hurt everyone. We need that bean to get home." Arthur snapped.

"I didn't see a bean, Your Majesty." Griff repeated. Seeing as this was going nowhere fast, David nudged the monarch and led him out of Griff's earshot.

"I'm always betrayed by those closest to me." Arthur said bitterly.

"Look, you know this guy. Is he lying?" David asked.

"I don't believe so. And of course, it is possible there was no bean if it was removed during the six weeks we can't recall."

"Okay," he sighed, "Well, we'll find another way to get you home."

"Working together?" Arthur asked.

"Absolutely." the shepherd nodded, "Let's go tell this guy he's gonna make his home in our cell for a little while."

As they headed back to the prisoner, David spotted a large, red mushroom poking out of some of Griff's things. "What's this?"

"Must've fallen out when we emptied his bag." Arthur speculated, "If that was in the trunk, it was added after the time we lost."

"I recognize this." David realized as he thought back to what Regina showed him and Snow earlier that day. Over at the vault, he decided to show it to her.

"That's the one in the book from Camelot." Regina said with Snow at her side, "The one I found this morning. That's what we were looking for back there."

"But why?" Snow asked.

"It's used to communicate through magical barriers. We must've been trying to communicate with Merlin." she deduced.

"I wonder if we did." Snow wondered.

"Let's use it. Let's find out." David urged, "If we can talk to him now-"

"He can help us save Emma from being the Dark One." Snow finished.

"And maybe free Nicholas along the way." Regina nodded.

"David," Snow said to her husband proudly, "You did it."

 **OUaT**

Upon their return to Camelot, Arthur stayed true to his word and reward David with the highest honor he could bestow; a seat at the Round Table. Now dressed in ceremonial armor, David walked into the throne room with pride as the sound of cheers and applause filled his ears. When he reached the throne, Arthur, wielding Excalibur in its sheath while Guinevere held his coat of arms, waited for him to kneel so he could knight him.

"I dub thee Sir David of the Enchanted Forest. Now of the Round Table." he said happily to his new brother-in-arms, "I know 'knight of the Round Table' is pale fire, indeed, next to the title of prince."

"No." David denied, "I am beyond honored."

"Then rise, sir knight. Take your place."

At first, David was about to take the seat that once belonged to Percival. But Arthur quickly corrected him and pointed at his true seat at the mighty table; The Siege Perilous. "Really?" he asked finding it too good to be true.

"I never thought I'd find anyone I trust enough to fill that seat. But it's yours." Arthur nodded as he headed over to the grand chair, "It will bear your coat of arms. Not bad for a shepherd, eh?"

"Thank you." David chuckled as they shook hands. When he took his seat, the whole room filled with even louder applause than before. Little did David know, he had just been knighted and honored by a liar.

 **OUaT**

After David locked Griff in the station, Arthur decided to pay a visit to his squire; alone. Upon seeing his ruler approach, Griff suddenly looked relieved and rose to his feet to greet him.

"Your Majesty, thank goodness you're here. I-I don't understand what's going on. I did only what you asked. I took the items, and I kept them safe. I said maybe there was a bean, even though you and I know full well there was never a bean, and I did it exactly as you said. Can you please let me out now?"

"Not just yet, Griff." Arthur replied with a conflicted look on his face, "There may not have been a bean, but we can't have them learning that, now, can we?"

"No." the squire agreed, "No, of course not, Your Majesty."

"They trust me now. So I must use that trust to protect my kingdom. These people may seem friendly, but they threaten everything we hold dear. David likes to think his quest a noble one. But his daughter is the Dark One. They lied to us in Camelot. They brought her into our castle. They are responsible for tearing us away from our home, a home we must now reclaim." Arthur explained.

"But how will we ever get back without a bean?" Griff asked.

"I'm afraid we cannot get back. That's why we must build a new Camelot here in Storybrooke." he informed.

"Then you trust me to help. I would do anything for my kingdom." Griff promised.

"I know you would. As would I. Which is why I need you to drink this." Arthur said as he showed Griff a bottle containing a bright green liquid. The moment he saw it, the young squire knew exactly what it was from his time looking after the reliquary.

"Poison from the Agrabah vipers." he whispered, "But why? I won't tell these people a thing."

"Not of your own free will, but they have magic on their side. In time, they will make you talk." he reasoned darkly.

"There must be some other way."

"I wish there was. Truly, I do. You told me you always dreamt of sitting at the Round Table one day. Well, now I'm offering you something greater. A chance to die in service of Camelot. Your death will be the cornerstone of a great new kingdom. If you take this." Arthur promised as he uncorked the bottle.

Being the loyal subject that he was, Griff readied himself as he took the bottle. "For Camelot." he toasted before downing the poison. After it took its effect, he collapsed to the floor dead before his body was destroyed in a puff of green smoke.

"For Camelot." Arthur nodded sadly.

Elsewhere in Storybrooke, under her house, where she kept Excalibur, Emma loomed over the real Rumplestiltskin's body as she dangled a sword over him. But it wasn't just any sword. It was the same sword Hook once held against the man's neck before he became the Dark One centuries ago. Using her magic, she crushed it and used the healing potion Belle originally intended to use on him. When his eyes fluttered open, he looked up to see his successor in fear.

"What do you want from me?" he asked feeling powerless and frightened, "You're the Dark One now, not me."

"That's right." she softly agreed, "You are not dark. You are also not light. You are nothing. Your heart is a blank slate. And that, little man, makes you useful. Because now I can make you into the last thing you ever thought you would be. A hero. And not just any hero. The purest who's ever lived. And then…then my real work can begin."

 **Yah! David and Nicholas are friends again! We can finally put what happened back in season 2 behind us! One more thing before I sign off, for those of you who like, or at least okay with what I did with Hook and Ariel, what would you like regarding their wedding? It's not going to take up too much time in this story but I need to know when you guys would want it before we get into the Promised Day Arc.**

 **When I do it, I can either do it while Emma's still the Dark One at some point or I can just do it later on in the season. It's up to you, I'm really drawing a blank when it comes to them, I kinda rushed it. Originally, I was going to mention that they did it during the 7 weeks before the Queens of Darkness showed up, but I forgot and that wound up snowballing on me.**

 **So, if you guys want me to actually write the ceremony, tell me what you want and I'll go from there.**

 **Later!**


	53. Dreamcatcher

**Okay, everybody, here it is! Little heads for this one, I had to blend it the bits that were originally Captain Swan moments in the show and made them my own tweaked Alchemy Swan versions, with some original stuff here and there, Dreamcatcher, and the last bit of The Bear and The Bow. So this one's a wee bit long.**

 **But aside from that, it's ready for you awesome readers! I know I say this every chapter, but please, do let me know what you guys think and if there's anything I can do to make this better; I love to receive feedback from you guys and I look forward to it every time I post a chapter.**

 **So, without further adieu, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

Late at night in Camelot, Emma decided to take at least one piece of advice Rumple gave her since becoming the Dark One, she started a hobby to keep herself busy at night and to help take her mind off things. But instead of knitting, she decided to choose a more complicated pass time in making dreamcatchers. As she made one in her room alone, she began to her voices whisper around her.

"Do you hear it?" Rumple asked behind her, "A sweet sound. A strange sound. Let's go have a look, shall we?"

Without any argument, Emma listened to him and followed the sound of the voices to their source. When she found it come from Regina's room, she flung open a wardrobe and found where the voices were coming from; the dagger.

"So that's where it's coming from, your dagger." Rumple said despite knowing full well the whole time, "Since Regina left it in her room, I say, uh, finders keepers."

When Emma tried to take it, she got zapped by a protection spell cast over the box the dagger was in. But it was obvious from the look in her eyes that she still wanted it. She wanted what was hers.

"So she put a spell on it. That's nothing for you. Shatter it." he seduced darkly.

"I can't." she whispered still staring at it.

"It's calling to its other half." he noted.

"Leave me alone." she pleaded.

"Your friends cannot protect you." he taunted.

"Stop." she begged softly.

"You're the Savior. Save yourself before it's too late." Rumple advised.

"Get out of my head!" Emma cried as she tried to blast him away with her magic. But it just went through and nearly struck Nicholas in the process.

"Sweetheart, it's okay." he gently assured as he hugged her, "It's just us. You and me."

"He's inside my head. I can't get him out." she said in fear as she saw he lean against the door smirking at her, "He's here. He's always here."

"Shh." he gently soothed while stroking her hair, "It's okay. It's okay. Come on. Let's set you down."

"What happened?" Regina asked as she and Henry entered the room as the couple was about to leave.

"Get Snow and David, now." he ordered as he held Emma close as they walked to the nearest seat. Once he saw the look of fear in her eyes, he gently laid her down on a loveseat as Regina, Henry and Snow entered the room.

"What happened to her?" Snow asked while Nicholas held her daughter's hand at her side.

"I think I may have an idea. She hasn't said a word since I brought her here." he replied while Emma trembled in fear.

"It's getting worse, isn't it?" David asked letting the others know he was in the room.

"David, where have you been?" Snow asked, "I was looking all over the castle for you."

"With Arthur. It turns out he might have a way to help Emma." he explained while whispering, even though everyone except Emma could hear him.

"We can't." Snow whispered.

"If we give him the dagger-"

"David, listen to me." Snow said no longer whispering, "We can't trust Arthur."

"What are you talking about? Who told you that?" he asked.

"Lancelot." she replied.

"Lancelot?" he asked while Regina and Nicholas looked at Emma in concern as her parents talked, "Lancelot it dead."

"That's what he wanted Cora to think, but he outwitted her." Snow informed.

"Hey," Regina interrupted, "Not in front of the patient. Given the state that she's in, anything could set her off. She needs rest. Somewhere quiet and away from prying eyes."

"I know the perfect place." Nicholas nodded, "You guys get some rest, I'll look after her. Come on, honey. Up we go."

Once he led her back to the hall, he made sure no one was looking at grabbed her hand before leading her outside into the courtyard. "Nicky, what are you doing?" Emma asked looking miserable.

"It's like I said," he grinned as the ground began to surge with alchemy in an outline of a large square, "Up we go."

Before she had the chance to ask, the ground rose into the air, far past the height of Merlin's tower and high enough to break through the clouds. Out reflex, Emma looked afraid as she clung to her grinning boyfriend as they continued to ascend. When it seemed as though they were as high up as they would be on a beanstalk, Nicholas finally stopped transmuting.

"There, now. Isn't that better?" he asked playfully. To Emma, Camelot was nothing more than a faint orange glow from the lights inside.

"This better not be some kind of crazy-ass trust fall, Nicholas." she growled.

"No, no, nothing like that." he laughed enjoying how tightly she was holding him, "Not like the fall could kill us. We're both immortal now."

"What the hell is this?!" she shrieked.

"This? This is just you and me." he calmly replied still smiling, "No Camelot, no dagger, no worries, no nothing. It's just the two of us."

"Huh?" she asked which finally caused him to do something other than smile and scare the crap out of her.

"Ah, geez." he sighed raking his hand through his hair, "Alright. How 'bout this? Lay down with me."

"What?" she asked as he laid down and pulled her down with him.

"Just lay down." he said as they faced the sky, "Okay. Now, what do you see?"

"The sky." she sighed finding this pointless.

"Good. Now, is light out or dark?" he asked.

"It's the middle of the night, what do you think?" she asked losing her patience.

"Emma." he said in a warning tone while raising his eyebrow.

"Fine. It's dark."

"Thank you." he nodded, "Now, look closer. What else do you see?"

"Stars?" she asked rolling her eyes.

"Hmm, that's not what I see." Nicholas disagreed gaining a bewildered look from Emma as he stared at the night sky, "I see Henry, your parents, your brother Neal's there, too. And Robin, and Hook, and Ariel. There's also Granny, Leroy, Doc, Happy, Belle, oh, even Marco and August, Archie are there, too. And let's see, who else? Ah! Elsa and Anna, I can see them. A whole bunch of people up there with you."

"Where are you going with this?" Emma asked.

"Let's say that all that darkness up there, is, well, you." Nicholas said playfully, "And everyone I just said happens to be one of those stars shining up there."

"Which one's Regina?" she asked smirking at what he was trying to do.

"Well, you see that little flickering star up there that looks like it's about to go supernova any second? That's Regina." he joked causing Emma to laugh that sweet laugh he loved to hear, "All those little lights in all that darkness. It's not really so dark, when you take a good look at it. Something's out there shining a bit of light in it. You may be the Dark One now, Emma, but there's still plenty of light in your heart. And everyone whom you've helped and touched with your light has a piece of it in them. A light they would share with you tenfold in a heartbeat. And that's exactly what we're gonna do."

"Aw!" she cooed as she rolled on top of him and snuggled against his chest, "You're so sweet to make all that bull crap up for me just to make me feel better."

"Bull crap?" he asked, "It was supposed to be a touching, memorable moment in our relationship. I poured my soul into that and meant every word."

"I know, but it was so cheesy!" she laughed on top of him, "I mean, cute. It was cute. It was a good way for me to see your sensitive side."

"You're making fun of me?!" he asked while laughing, "I ought to throw you off of this thing, you snot!"

"You wouldn't dare." she giggled before he quickly rolled over her causing her to squeal cutely. Looking at each other's faces in the darkness, all they could do was stare at the other completely in love. Nicholas then reached down to kiss his Swan gently so to let her know he would always be there for her; and that kiss was all she needed to believe him.

"There is one thing you forgot, though." she pointed out.

"And what's that?" he asked.

"You didn't point yourself out. Where are you in all of this?" Emma asked smiling.

"Well, I was officially gonna make it cheesy by saying that I was gonna be the brightest light of them all for you and point to the moon. Only…I didn't realize that it was a new moon out tonight rather than a full moon like I wanted. So…yeah. That kinda back fired on me."

"You are such a nerd!" Emma laughed while pushing him over on his back again while hugging him, "But you're my nerd."

"And don't you forget it." Nicholas chuckled while kissing her head.

 **OUaT**

In the station back at Storybrooke, after lying to them all about what happened, Arthur showed the main party that Griff was no longer in his cell. "So he just vanished?" Hook asked.

"Could it be magic?" Robin asked, "Uh, your squire, did he wield such power?"

"Not that I ever saw." Arthur replied playing innocent.

"Well, there's no sign of tampering." David observed.

"Then he must've lied about having the bean." Arthur threw out, "Must've hidden it on his person somewhere and used it to escape."

"How could he be so selfish?" Guinevere asked, "We could all be home right now."

"Desperate times." her husband shrugged.

"Our people want so badly to return. We must do something to raise their spirits. The despair of being away, that's what caused all this. Who else knows what it could lead to?" she asked.

"Well, you're right. People need hope." Snow agreed, "And as your hosts and leaders of this town, it is up to us to provide it."

"What do you have in mind?" Regina asked as David loomed over Henry's shoulder to see him texting a certain girl from Camelot.

"How about a dance?" the boy suggested.

"A dance, huh?" David asked, "Looking for an excuse to ask your girlfriend out on a date?"

"Girlfriend? What girlfriend?" Regina asked.

"She's not my girlfriend." Henry denied.

"Who's not your girlfriend?" Regina asked again as she went full on mama-queen.

"I think a dance is exactly what we need." Snow agreed hoping to take the pressure off her grandson.

"Henry, who's this girlfriend?" Regina asked as she ignored everything but what Hook was about to say.

"Well, if it's dating tips you need, lad, I know my way around women." the pirate offered trying to sound cool.

"Over you're dead body." Regina coldly denied.

"Regina!" Snow snapped.

"Your fiancé can't even tell the difference between silverware and haircare products." she added.

"Still looks better than your hair. The way yours looks, people would think you use a fork instead of a brush." Ariel calmly retorted which riled up the mayor.

"Okay!" Snow interjected before the catfight could begin, "Let's start planning. I think it is time Storybrooke had a ball."

"You really aren't good around redheads, are you?" David asked his in-law as they left the station. As they walked outside, Belle came running over to them in panic.

"Belle, what is it?" Snow asked.

"It's-it's Rumple. He's missing." she panted.

 **OUaT**

The next day, Henry decided to help out his mom and uncle by taking them on his own little attempt to help Emma take her mind off things. As he led them through the woods, he saw their destination, one of Camelot's stables.

"Come on, Mom. Keep going." he urged, "We're almost there."

"What's he up to?" Emma asked Nicholas as they walked arm in arm.

"I don't know." the alchemist replied as Henry opened the door for them.

"It's nice here, right? A good place to rest. You'll feel better in no time." Henry promised.

"I'm a bit curious as to how you found this place, kiddo. Something you're not telling us?" Nicholas asked.

"Well…there's this girl." Henry admitted.

"That's my boy!" he cheered in his head before speaking, "Is that a fact? Well, I like this story already."

"I-it's not like that." Henry poorly covered, "Her name's Violet. She brought me here. The stable belongs to her family."

"So you two are getting close?" Emma asked.

"N-not at all. We're just hanging out." he defended.

"Hello?" a girl, obviously Violet, asked from outside, "Who's in there?"

"That's her." Henry whispered, "Hide. Hide. Go on."

After Emma and Nicholas were out of sight, the pretty young girl that was Violet burst in armed with a rake ready to strike any intruder. But when she saw Henry, that was the last thing on her mind.

"Henry." she smiled cutely, "What are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in taking me ridding." he replied while Nicholas looked at him with a gleam in his eyes while Emma looked at Violet with an analyzing gaze.

"Yeah. I'd love to." she agreed, "Come on. I'll introduce you to Nicodemus."

"That your dad?" Henry asked.

"No. It's my horse." Violet chuckled, "Hope you're ready to get your heart racing. Come on."

"Wow!" Nicholas laughed after the kids left, "You can hide away top secret information in code or a winning poker hand, but you can't hide the bloom of first love."

"Yes, he has a crush." Emma said calmly, "And he straight-up lied to our faces. And we're the Dark One and Immortal Alchemist."

"You're also his mother and I'm his fun uncle." Nicholas smirked.

"Which is scarier?" she asked.

"To him? That's up for debate." he joked, "Girl's got moxy, though. 'Hope you're ready to get your heart racing'? Sheesh! She's as much of a flirt as Ruby was."

"And Henry's as shy and nervous as you were." Emma nodded.

"Well, for his sake, I hope she doesn't think he's gay." he remarked smugly.

"Oh, come on! Let that go already!" she laughed.

"Only if you tell me what was going on last night." he haggled dropping the humor in his voice. Seeing no point in hiding it from him, Emma relented and confessed.

"It's Rumplestiltskin. Or at least something that looks like him. I've been seeing him in my head ever since we got here."

"He was the one telling you to fight Giles when we found you." Nicholas realized.

"I almost snapped his neck and tore out his heart because of his voice." she added before seeing the demon again by the door.

"Why didn't you just say so?" he asked, "If there's one thing I understand, it's knowing how annoying someone else's voice in your head can be. And, I also know how to ignore them."

"How? You wanna ride a horse or something?" Emma asked.

"Well," he said not too excited at the thought, "If the damn glue source doesn't spit at me or try to kick me in process, it should do the trick. How 'bout it? Ready to get _your_ heart racing?"

But before she could answer, the horse began to freak out because of the two dark presences next to it. So as it bucked around and tried to get away, it kicked Nicholas in the stomach and hurried over to the other side of the stables.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked as she loomed over him.

"I freaking hate horses." he groaned as she helped him up, "Fine! Be that way! We didn't want to ride you anyway! I hope you become Camelot's first bottle of glue!"

"Alright, alright. That's enough, leave the horse alone." she chuckled, "So, got any more ideas?"

"One." he nodded before leading her out into the woods. As they trudged through the trees, Rumplestiltskin decided to pester Emma again.

"Now I thought the point of all this was to get your heart racing?" he asked with his ever annoying giggle, "I don't need to be inside your head, dearie, to know you're bored. Uh, perhaps tearing out the hearts of Camelot's subjects will help take care of that?"

"Go away." Emma demanded.

"Emma," Nicholas said regaining her attention, "Stop talking to the demon in your head. We're almost there."

"This is pointless. I'm the Dark One. What's this going to do?" she asked.

"This isn't about going for a ride or anything, Emma. This is about putting your faith in me, in our future." he explained.

"You still think we can get back there, to Storybrooke and some white-picket-fence life?" she asked.

"Yes." Nicholas nodded, "I'll never stop fighting for us. All you have to do is trust me. And hold on tight."

"To what?" she asked before he began to change his appearance. When the lights faded, Emma looked past her hand and saw a black horse with a saddle where Nicholas once stood.

"Me." he replied.

"…You turned yourself into a horse?" Emma asked not believing what she just said.

"Well, after our little mishap with kicks-ateriate back there, this was the only thing I could think of." Nicholas replied while subconsciously moving his tail, "So, are you just gonna stand there all day staring at your stallion of a boyfriend, or are you gonna hop on?"

Smirking at his joke, Emma gave in and climbed on to the saddle. The moment she did, Nicholas took of leaving a trail of dust and dirt behind his hooves. Unlike when he decided to scare the bejessus out of her the last time he drove his car, Nicholas managed to succeed in amazing Emma as he ran through the woods and over the hills of the vast, green lands. After an hour or two of riding, they finally came to a stop.

"That was amazing. Thank you." Emma said as she got off and Nicholas turned human again.

"Well, I had a feeling you'd like it." he smirked as they looped arms again while walking through a meadow of pink flowers, "So, what do you see now."

"Lots of flowers." she replied as he picked and gave her one.

"Good. Now what don't you see?" he asked knowing the answer.

"Rumplestiltskin." she realized, "He's gone."

"I hoped he might be. Now that I'm here, there's no room left for him in that head of yours." Nicholas smiled.

"Well," she said with a coy smirk, "Now that we're alone…"

No more words were spoken as they kissed passionately in the meadow. Once again, it was just the two of them, and neither wanted that to change. But at some point or another, amidst their kissing, they remembered why they were in Camelot and decided to return to the castle. When they did, and Nicholas left Emma alone for just a moment, she used one of the dreamcatchers she made over Merlin's tree to see one of his memories; specifically, the one that showed how he became a tree in the first place.

Apparently, the first Dark One was responsible for the destruction of the woman he loved and in his weakness, he allowed it to take its dagger and use Merlin's heartbroken tear to turn him into the very tree looming over her. When Nicholas came back, she informed him of this and thought it best to tell Regina.

But while Nicholas was on his own, he felt a shift in the air caused by only one thing, magic. And he knew it didn't belong to anyone he arrived in Camelot with. Time began to slow down around him and a great flash of light appeared before him. It was a blinding light, but he could see the outline of a man standing in it. A man he knew better than not to bow to.

"Agent Flamel," the voice said, shifting in all sorts of tones and voices as it spoke.

"Director," he acknowledged as he took a knee, "Why have you contacted me like this?"

"I have a mission for you, one of grave importance." the leader of the League replied.

"Sir?" he asked, "I'm afraid you've asked me at the worst possible time. You see, I'm-"

"I know why you're in Camelot." the director cut off, "I make it a point to keep track of those who serve me."

"Then you know that I won't do anything you say until I rid the woman I love of the darkness." Nicholas retorted with a glare.

"You will follow my orders!" he shouted as the light grew brighter and hotter, "For that matter, it ties in to your location and will be beneficial for you and your friends. Listen to me, you and Agent Locksley are to destroy Camelot. Burn it to the ground, kill her king and all his followers. Rid this realm of the broken kingdom once and for all."

"Why?" Nicholas asked, "These people have welcomed us. They're helping us!"

"No." the director denied, "That is the last thing they plan to do."

"What are you talking about? Stop speaking in riddles for once!" Nicholas demanded.

"King Arthur is a liar. He has been deceiving all of you. He wants the dagger of the Dark One for himself."

"Why? So he can become the Dark One?" he asked dryly.

"Worse." the man of light replied, "He plans to restore it. The dagger and his sword, Excalibur were once one in the same. He rules this broken kingdom with a broken sword. He plans to reunite them and kill the Sorcerer. The fool is a tyrant who has poisoned the minds of not only his subjects, but his own queen, as well. And the minds of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"How?" he asked.

"Years ago, his Queen Guinevere and the knight Lancelot searched for the dagger while the would-be king drove himself mad in his pursuit of it. Naturally, Rumplestiltskin would not allow the one thing capable of controlling and killing him slip through his fingers. He made a deal with the pair, and in exchange for letting him keep it, he gave them enchanted sand from Avalon."

"That stuff is the strongest kind of illusion magic there is." Nicholas muttered, "Wait a minute. Are you saying-"

"Yes," the director nodded, "He used it on her, and then used the sand to build the very kingdom in which you stand. And as of just hours before, he used them to take control of your friends in hopes of them delivering the dagger to him."

"That son of bitch!" he cursed.

"You mustn't allow Arthur to unite the blades. It holds more power than you can imagine once whole. Once you free Merlin, and restore your friends' minds, wipe Camelot off the face of the map." the director ordered before vanishing and returning time to normal.

"Of course, sir." said Nicholas bowed his head without even bothering to give a fake smile, "It shall be done, Director."

As much as he actually wanted to begin his new assignment now that he knew Arthur's real intentions, Nicholas knew he needed to settle the smaller matters first before he could allow himself some fun. He told Emma that he overheard Arthur discuss his plans with Guinevere and learned about everything he had done and planned to do. Thankfully, after spending years perfecting the art of lying, and since Emma's "superpower" wasn't working since becoming the Dark One, his lie was believed by the blonde. Nicholas was then able to sniff out her parents' scents and discovered that they were with Regina in the woods, obviously there to retrieve the dagger for the deranged king. When they caught up to them and saw the spell-influence couple try to take the dagger for themselves, Emma stepped in and froze them in place.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked, "When did you get so liberal with dark magic?"

"No choice. Arthur has them under some kind of spell. he wants them to bring him the dagger. He wants to reunite it with Excalibur." Emma replied.

"Unite it?" Regina asked.

"It was once one blade." Nicholas nodded, "It was broken in half a long, long time ago."

"What happens when they're together?" she asked.

"He plans to kill Merlin with it. I don't think we need to tell you how bad that would be for all of us." Emma explained gravely.

"How do you know this?" Regina asked skeptically, "How do I know this isn't the darkness in you rearing its head?"

"Because I was the one who heard it from Arthur's mouth." Nicholas replied with a lie, "We don't have a lot of time. Arthur's expecting them soon."

"He's the king." she reminded, "So you guys want to take on all of Camelot?"

"I want to free Merlin first then I can help my parents and stop Arthur." Emma replied.

"Besides, I destroyed a kingdom before, I can do it again." Nicholas added as he let the other task of his assignment sink into their minds.

"That's a great plan, but we have no idea how to get him out of the tree." Regina reminded.

"You already said it; dark magic." Emma answered.

"No." she stiffly shot down, "You can't keep using it."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Careful, Emma. I've been on that slippery slope. You know where it got me." she warned.

"All due respect, I'm not you." Emma politely reminded. Once they returned to the tower, they searched through the multitude of books for the necessary potion they'd been working on. "First thing we need to know is how the potion you've been working on will react to my dark magic. Bring me the vial."

"I'm not doing a damn thing until Nicholas tells me how he really learned how David and Mary Margaret were under a spell." Regina denied flatly.

"Sis, I told you-"

"A lie." she cut off, "You may have been able to convince Emma what you said is the truth, but I know you better, dear brother. Now tell me the truth."

"No." he flatly refused.

"What?" she asked as her temper rose.

"I don't need to explain myself to you, sister dear. It doesn't matter how I learned about Arthur's plans, what matters is what we do next." he snapped, "And for the record, even if I could tell you, which I can't, I wouldn't on account of having to deal with your attempts to act like my third parent again and lecture me."

"Wow." Emma thought, "That one's obviously been bottled up for a long time."

"I don't…I don't act like a third-"

"Regina, I'm gonna have to stop you there for the sake of not wasting our time," Emma interrupted, "But, yeah, you kind of do."

"Whatever." she said rolling her eyes, "How're we gonna get Merlin out of the tree?"

"I think I know something that might help us with that." Emma replied as she pulled out a dreamcatcher from her hood's pockets, "I saw a memory, Merlin's memory, in this."

"Emma, this is dark magic." Regina stressed as she took it away from the blonde.

"I know." she replied not seeing the harm.

"These things catch more than dreams."

"I know."

"And you have to wave it over someone to capture a memory." Regina lectured.

"I don't." Emma informed which shocked the queen, "This dark magic is stronger, more unpredictable than any magic I've ever used. The image just appeared. It showed me what happened to Merlin. Merlin wept for the loss of the only woman he ever loved moments before the Dark One trapped him in the tree using one of his tears."

"Emma, that's it." Regina realized.

"What's what?" Nicholas asked.

"Sometimes, spells are like snakebites. You can make the anti-venom with the venom. If a tear of lost love trapped Merlin, then another one might be able to get him out." she explained, "So, what do you two lovebirds say? Let's go get ourselves a tear."

"I say, don't call us lovebirds." Nicholas dryly replied in distaste. After sneaking out of the tower, the three of them returned to the woods where they found Henry trying, and failing, to wield a sword.

"Henry! Careful." Regina warned as they approached him.

"Hey…Moms. Uncle." he said bashfully, "I was, uh, getting in the Camelot spirit. You know, trying to understand this world."

"By sword fighting?" Emma asked.

"Kiddo, what's this really about?" Nicholas asked his nephew in concern.

"W-Well, Sir Morgan, Violet's father, had a little advice for me to fit in. That's all." Henry replied while tweaking the truth, "Trouble is, I'm not sure if I'm ever gonna be good at this knight stuff."

"Well, if you're not, you're not. But changing so someone likes you never works." Emma said gently, "I mean, I liked your dad because he was always himself. And I like your uncle here 'cause he's a goofy, sarcastic nerd."

"Thanks, hun." Nicholas said with a dry smirk.

"But-but maybe, if I try, I could be something better than I am." Henry reasoned before looking to Regina, "If you didn't change for the better, you wouldn't be with Robin."

"True." she nodded, "But do you really think a girl from Camelot would be interested in someone who's just like every other boy around here? Remember when I told you about Daniel?"

"Yeah, your first love." he remembered.

"And it wasn't because he tried to impress me by being like the others. It was because he was so different, so unique." Regina said smiling.

"And that's also a reason why your mom fell for me." Nicholas smirked, "I mean, who's more unique than I am back home?"

"Henry, in Camelot, you're a mysterious stranger from an exotic land. That's a good thing." Emma stressed with a sly smirk.

"I think I can work with that." Henry nodded, "Thanks. I have to go make a few arrangements."

As he ran off and his parents looked at him fondly, an idea in how to free Merlin from the tree popped into Regina's head. "I think I might know where to get our missing ingredient to free Merlin. From me."

"Regina, are you sure?" Nicholas asked after they returned to the tower, "This is going to be intense."

"Last chance to back out." Emma warned with a vial in one hand and a dreamcatcher in another.

"I can take it." she said as she mentally and emotionally prepared herself. Sitting across from her, Emma handed over the dreamcatcher and focused on the memory they hoped would provide the key to Merlin's freedom; the night Cora killed Daniel right before Regina's eyes. When the memory ended, Regina could barely hold back the tears as the pain she buried long ago resurfaced.

"I'm sorry." was all Emma could say as Nicholas held his sister's hand and rubbed her back.

"It was like it was happening all over again." Regina sobbed as Emma snatched her tear in the vial.

"Got it. Thank you." she said softly, "I didn't know how things were for you. I didn't know…"

"You could see it, too?" Regina asked.

"I'm so sorry. I don't understand how a mother could do something like that."

"She thought it was for the best." Nicholas said sadly as that night played back in his mind as well. To this day, he still felt guilty for not being able to stop Cora in time that night. In his mind, he always blamed himself for Regina becoming the Evil Queen.

 **OUaT**

While Henry had Emma busy with looking for his not-so-secret crush's missing horse, Regina, Robin, Belle, Hook and Ariel took the chance to try and sneak into her house and learn what she'd been hiding; maybe even get Nicholas back if possible.

"I knew this place looked familiar." Regina said as they walked to the white-picket gate of the Dark One's home.

"Shouldn't it?" Ariel asked, "I mean, you did make this place, after all."

"Not what I meant. This house, it's actually Nicholas's." she informed.

"I thought your brother lived with you?" Hook asked.

"He does. But this is actually his house."

"I don't think any of us follow, Regina." Belle offered.

"When I cast the first curse, I originally gave Nicholas a house of his own so he could have a place to do his experiments. Only I forgot about his whole 'night-terrors' problem and that he didn't like to be alone after having one. So I offered him to come live with me again and he just up and left the place." she explained.

"And now Swan's living in it." Hook sighed, "She really must be the Dark One if she has the guts to take up residence in another man's home after doing whatever it is she did him."

"Why couldn't he just have let us stay here when the mansion was compromised?" Robin thought as he looked at the large house.

"Showtime. Henry says he's got Emma occupied." Regina informed as they reached the front door.

"You told Henry what we're doing?" Hook asked.

"No, but he'll let us know when she's headed back." she replied. When she tried to open the door, she quickly realized, and felt that the house was covered in a barrier meant to keep certain people out.

"It would appear she doesn't want you trespassing." Hook observed.

"You wanna try, pirate?" Regina asked.

"No thanks, I'd rather have at least one hand for my wedding." he dryly replied.

"She'd let Henry in." Belle pointed out, "Do you have anything of his on you?"

"I do now." Regina smirked as she poofed his trademark scarf into her hand and used it to open the door, "Thank you, Henry. You're our hero."

Once inside, they found the Dark One's home to actually look normal. The only thing that really caught anyone's eye was the door in the back of the closet hall.

"What do you think that leads to?" Ariel asked.

"Why don't we open it and find out?" Robin suggested as he cautiously opened the wooden door. When they made it down the stone steps into the cave, they saw Excalibur resting in its stone.

"Now we know why she didn't want anyone inside." Regina remarked.

"I don't think she wants anyone to see this, and I think I know the reason why." Robin informed as he took a close look at the blade's edges, "Anyone else think Excalibur looks a bit familiar?"

"The dagger." Belle nodded as she looked at the sword, "It's the same design, the same edges."

"What the hell does she want with this?" Regina asked, "And with Gold. What is she up to?"

"Well, given our missing memories, I'd wager whatever it is, it's not good." Robin said pointing out the obvious.

"Let's take a better look at the damn thing and find out." Hook suggested as he was about to try and pull out the sword.

"Stop!" Regina barked, "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it could be booby-trapped. You could get killed."

"Oh, I didn't know you cared." he teased.

"I don't. But right now, you and you're future fish-wife are useful; ish." Regina dryly remarked as Belle noticed and picked up a strand of rope by the cage in front of the stone.

"He was here. Rumple was here." she informed.

"And now he's gone." Robin sighed, "Let's try searching the rest of the house."

"No time." Regina denied as she read a text on her phone, "It's Henry. She's on her way back."

As they walked out of the house as fast as they could, Robin noticed something resting on a coffee table by the window. When he went over, he saw that it was a small octagon box with something inside. "Robin, what are you doing?" Regina asked.

"Take a look at this." he said as he pulled a dreamcatcher out of the box.

"What's that?" Ariel asked trying not to look too excited at another land object.

"It's a dream catcher." he replied.

"Why would she have it tucked away like that?" Belle asked.

"Because they can be more than just objects of folklore. When imbued with magic, they can be quite powerful." Regina explained as the gears turned in her head, "I think I know how Emma took our memories."

 **OUaT**

After spending the next couple of hours making the preparations, everything was set up and ready at the courtyard where Merlin's tree stood in the dark of the night.

"Go on, Emma. Do it. Arthur could be here any second." Nicholas urged. As Emma carefully mixed the ingredients together, Regina pulled out the vial containing her tear.

"And now for the final ingredient, the tear." she said. When Emma poured it in, all they saw was a small puff of smoke shoot out of the pot before retreating back.

"Gee, that's disappointing." Nicholas remarked.

"It should've worked. It should have worked!" Regina snapped.

"Regina," Emma said gently, "It's simple. Your heartbreak wasn't strong enough."

"What?!" she scoffed.

"No, no, I know it was real. But there's Robin now. You've moved on. You've healed." Emma explained as Henry joined them, only he was not looking his best.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late." he apologized while trying not to look any of them in the eye.

"Henry, are you okay?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." he lied.

"No, you're not." Regina said as concern filled their faces.

"Kiddo, what happened?" Nicholas asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." he tried to wave off.

"You can tell us anything." Emma reminded. And that was when the dams Henry called his eyes burst.

"I tried doing what you said. I tried acting like myself. But she didn't want anything to do with me." he choked as he began to cry, "Violet's right, in this world, I'll never be a hero."

"You may not be a hero in her world," Regina gently said as she soaked one of his many tears in a tissue, "But you will be in ours. This'll work. This tear. Your tear, Henry."

"It can free Merlin?" he asked.

"You can save me, kid." Emma praised as her dear son sniffled. As she did, Nicholas's nose twitched before he hardened his shield on his arms and readied his shadows.

"We've got company." he warned.

"Stop!" Arthur ordered as he and four of his knights approached them, "Stay away from that tree. I won't ask twice. You and your people have done nothing but lie to me ever since you got here. You're no Savior. You're a fraud."

"Go ahead. Call me a fraud again. I dare you." Regina growled.

"And what are you?" Nicholas asked, "You're the damn king of frauds! You haven't even told your people that the very thing that made you king is broken. You're a sham."

"We welcomed you, celebrated you. And how do you repay me? You bring the Dark One into the heart of my kingdom, endangering all who live here. Give me the dagger!" Arthur demanded.

"You want it?" Nicholas asked as his shadows grew and pointed directly at them.

"Come and get it." Regina taunted as she readied a fireball while giving Emma the tear, "Now, Emma."

When she added the final piece of the puzzle, streams of light and dark magic swarmed around her as the necessary spell was cast. "It's working!" Emma cried as she blasted the tree.

When both the light and darkness were used on the tree, what was left of the spell was released into the night as Nicholas and Regina kept the knights at bay. When the tree was gone, a man wearing black and gold robes wearily rose from the ground where it once stood. When he pulled back his hood, the young, bronze face of Merlin was revealed at last.

"I've been waiting for you, Emma." he greeted kindly before dropping his kind face as he looked to Arthur, "And you, the boy who would be king. My great hope. How you've disappointed me."

"I disappointed _you_?" Arthur asked, "You gave me false prophecies. Sent me on an impossible quest! You ruined my life!"

"Put it away, Arthur." Merlin chastised as the king threatened to pull out his broken weapon, "We both know that broken sword can't hurt me."

"…This is not finished." he promised as he sheathed the blade and left with his men.

 **OUaT**

While the block party went on, the heroes decided to let Arthur know they found his sword, but they also wanted to squeeze some answers out of him once they realized he had been lying to them and kept some important details to himself.

"She had Excalibur?" he asked trying to control his frustration.

"Trapped in a stone in her basement." Hook nodded as he and the others looked coldly at the king.

"Well, then we need to get it back at once. It would be disastrous if the Dark One took possession of it." Arthur stressed.

"That have anything to do with its striking resemblance to the Dark One dagger?" Hook questioned.

"How do you know about the dagger?" Arthur asked.

"I've spent a lifetime trying to end the Dark One's existence. I know much about the dagger." he replied, "What I don't know about is your blade. Care to enlighten us?"

"Yes. There's a reason they resemble each other. They were forged as one weapon and then broken in two. I've spent years trying to reunite them."

"That's why you were so interested in the dagger when you arrived." Snow pointed out as she glared at him.

"I apologize for not telling you sooner, but I had to make sure I could trust you." Arthur defended, "The restored weapon has great power. It can eradicate all dark magic forever."

"That's a good thing." David nodded.

"Of course." Arthur agreed, "But in the wrong hands, it can also destroy all light magic."

"That's her plan. To snuff out the light forever." Ariel realized.

"What happened in Camelot?" Snow asked rhetorically, "How did Emma fall so far?"

"What I don't still understand is why she did what she did to Nicholas." Belle threw in, "There must be some reason why she decided to take him out of the equation."

"Maybe he found out what she was planning and tried to stop her?" David suggested, "Or maybe since he's immune to most magic, whatever was used to take away our memories wasn't gonna work on him so she did the one thing that would keep him quiet."

"If that's the case, then our dear alchemist may know more than we do." Hook speculated, "We need to find a way to free him."

"How?" Snow asked, "You saw the way Emma had his Stone that night. There's no way she's gonna let it out of her sight."

"So I guess the real question is, how are we going to get him back and how much help will Nicholas be?" Belle asked.

After the block party was over, Regina decided to take a closer look at the dreamcatcher they took from Emma's place in hopes to return everyone's memories. "If Emma used this to rip our memories, maybe it can tell us what happened in Camelot."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Robin asked while Regine pursed her lips together, "You're afraid of what you might see, aren't you?"

"Emma clearly thought she had good reason for what she did. Who knows what happened to us there?" she asked.

"Well," the archer sighed, "There's only one way to find out."

When Regina waved her hand over the weave, instead of seeing the memories of what happened to Emma, the couple saw Henry talking to Violet at the ball Camelot threw for them.

"Are these Henry's memories?" Robin asked.

"No." Regina said no less confused while Henry watched them from the foyer, "No, I think it's that girl he has a crush on."

In the memory, Violet was tending to her horse in her father's stable before she spotted a note Henry left for her. Clearly, it made her happy to see such a thing. But that happiness quickly went away when Emma snuck up behind her and startled the girl.

"Violet, can you keep a secret?" Emma asked.

"Of course." she chuckled.

"Good. Because Henry can never know about this." Emma said darkly before she tore out Violet's heart, "Violet, listen. You will get this back. I just need your help first."

"W-w-what do you need?" Violet stuttered.

"I need the tear of a lost first love; a fresh tear. I need you to break Henry's heart." Emma informed as the words made her sick to her stomach and want to choke.

"What?" Regina asked. As soon as he heard the memory, Henry let the adults know he was there by dropping his bag of popcorn in shock. "Henry."

 **OUaT**

The following morning at Granny's, Merlin effortlessly removed the spell on David and Snow and freed them from Emma's spell allowing them to move again.

"There." he smiled, "That should do it."

"Emma." Snow said as her thoughts cleared and she hugged her little princess, "We're so sorry."

"If we would've known how bad Arthur was, we never would have confronted him on our own." David explained.

"It's okay. I'm just glad Merlin could help." Emma replied as she nodded to the sorcerer.

"Merlin?" David asked as he waved, "You're Merlin?"

"Expecting someone…"

"Older." he nodded.

"Yes. Well, let's just say that being a tree, good for your skin." Merlin joked.

"Well, now that the great sorcerer is among us, maybe he'll tell us. Can you do what your apprentice said?" Nicholas asked, "Can you free Emma from the darkness?"

"Sure." Merlin smiled, "But with a caveat. Darkness like this takes a hold of a person, find its way deep inside, where nobody else can see. So if I am to free you from its grasp, I must know one thing. Emma, is your heart truly ready to be free? Because it is as much up to you as me."

 **OUaT**

The next day in Storybrooke, Regina decided gather the others and inform them what she planned to do with the toadstool Arthur found. All they needed to do was prepare the contacting spell and have someone chosen by Merlin add the Crimson Crown into the brew. When he was brought to the vault to do this, he tricked the others into leaving him alone so he could burn the toadstool in the fire under the cauldron. When he lied to them and told them it didn't work, Regina stormed back inside the vault to see what when wrong while he went back to his camp.

"You've checked over that spell a dozen times, Regina." Snow reminded.

"Well, I did everything right." she retorted, "Arthur should have been able to communicate with Merlin."

"Unless he didn't want to." David said as he pulled the burnt toadstool from under the cauldron.

"The Crimson Crown." Hook gasped.

"Arthur threw it into the fire. He sabotaged the spell." David said as he began to get angry, "He lied to us."

"I guess he didn't realize magical toadstool's don't burn." Regina huffed.

"But why wouldn't he want us to contact Merlin?" Ariel asked.

"We need to talk to Merlin now more than ever." Snow sighed.

"Unfortunately, we need someone he's chosen." Hook reminded sourly, "The Apprentice is dead. We're out of options, love."

"Perhaps not." Regina disagreed as a, figurative, lightbulb lit over her head, "There is one other person in Storybrooke who was chosen by Merlin; the Author."

After Snow called Henry, he joined them later clearly still upset over what Emma did to Violet. "Are you sure you're up for this?" Regina asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Mom." he assured curtly.

"It's just, I-I know you've been through a lot." she said gently.

"The person who ripped out Violet's heart isn't my mother." Henry said stiffly, "But Emma is still in there somewhere, and I'll do anything it takes to get her back."

"You can do this, lad." Hook praised before Henry tossed the charred mushroom into the cauldron. In a puff of smoke, Merlin's distraught face appeared to them. Unfortunately, it wasn't what anyone was expecting or hoping for.

"If you're receiving this message, then things are worse than I feared." he warned.

"I don't believe this." Regina blurted, "We're getting Merlin's voicemail?"

"There is only one person who can help you defeat the Dark One now. If you want to destroy the darkness, then you must-" Merlin began to say only to be cut off by the sound of explosions in the distance of the message, "No. The Dark One's found me already."

And just like that, the message ended and the heroes found themselves with more questions and not a single answer.

"What the hell did Emma do to him?" Hook asked them all.

As this happened, Emma looked out the window of her house with a dark smirk on her face. With her hands behind her back, she watched as Belle and Gold walked out of the yard and headed back to the pawn shop as Nicholas's Stone glowed around her neck. But in one of her hands, the now freed Excalibur hung loosely in her grip.

But from the cover of the night and the shadows of the trees, Quartermain looked at the Dark One through his binoculars with an angry expression on his face, and his trademark riffle on his back.

"To hell with waiting." he growled as he rose to his feet and made his way to the unsuspecting villain with every intention to fight her; and if need be, end her.

 **Bum, bum, BUM! Allan Quartermain taking on the Dark Swan?! Oh, that's gonna be epic!**

 **Hopefully, I'll be able to get that one done soon, but not too soon; I got keep you guys in suspense every now and then, right?**

 **Two more things I'd like to bring up before I sign off.**

 **1\. Details for Hook and Ariel's wedding. Come on, guys. I need something for this. Anything.**

 **2\. Feedback on Bluebeard. Again, anything. He's gonna be an important character down the road so you might as well voice your opinions on him now and make suggestions before I get too far into his development when he comes back.**

 **Besides that, see ya next time!**


	54. Nimue

**Okay, everybody, I'm not gonna bore you with another A.N. before the chapter so you guys can go on ahead and read the main story. The next one is going to have one or two lengthy ones which you'll see why once you're done.**

 **If you have any questions, compliments or complaints about this one, let me know via review and/or PM. It'll help motivate me to write more when I'm not at work. That, and I'm kind getting burnt out on Once so I really need the motivation.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

In the depths of her residence, the Dark Swan placed the two mythical blades on the stone they once hailed from. As she marveled at the glints shining off their steel, Rumplestiltskin decided to pay Emma a visit.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he asked happily, "Both halves finally reunited. You know what they represent, now, don't you?"

"A broken promise." Emma replied with a dark smile, "When this sword was broken, it, a promise and a heart were all broken in one swift instant. And now that I have the pieces together, I will mend the broken sword and the broken promise."

"Indeed, you will, dearie." Rumple giggled as he clapped his hands, "Indeed you will."

"But first," she said as she held the Philosopher's Stone in front of her face, "What to do with you?"

 **OUaT**

At Granny's in the woods, Nicholas watched as Emma sat alone outside making more dreamcatchers through the window as her parents talked with Merlin. "So you can really do it?" David asked, "Take the Dark One dagger, take it with Arthur's sword to recreate the original Excalibur?"

"I hope so." Merlin nodded.

"And we can use it to save Emma?" Snow asked.

"Perhaps, but I need two things. The magical means to unite the two blades. That's my and Emma's quest. From you, I need-"

"The two blades." Regina finished.

"We're pretty much at the open-warfare stage. Now getting the partial sword from Arthur won't be easy." Robin pointed out.

"As long as you're looking at the future, any hints on how?" Hook asked.

"Well, the future isn't really exact." Merlin replied, "There are many parts-"

"Of course there are." Nicholas snapped as he turned to face them, "Well, here's one that gonna happen for sure by the end of tonight; Camelot, and all her subjects burning in my flames! While we're sitting here doing nothing, Emma's out there making things to pull people's memories out because that's what she does now instead of sleep!"

"I understand." Merlin calmly eased, "I know what it is to lose someone you love to the Dark One. All I can ask of all of you is that you bring me that sword and that you have patience with Emma. Her kind of power, for good or evil, it is a weight on the soul. And love is a great help, if you can find it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must speak with Emma."

When the ancient wizard exited the diner, Nicholas went out the back so he could smoke one of his cigars. As soon as he lit a match, Robin came out to talk with him.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"You'll have to be a bit more specific with me, Locksley." Nicholas said with his cigar in his mouth.

"What did you mean when you said you plan on burning Camelot to the ground?" Robin asked as he glared at his comrade.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you. The Director contacted me yesterday, told me that he wants us to wipe Camelot off the face of the map and kill Arthur and his followers." Nicholas replied as he let out a big puff of smoke, "Oh, that's a good Cuban."

"Ah. So that's how you found out about Arthur." Robin inquired.

"Today's as good a time as any to do it." he pointed out, "Hell, we don't even need to keep Arthur alive, just make sure we get his sword."

"You know, it's times like this when I'm glad our jobs don't require any paperwork for this sort of shit." Robin cursed bluntly. On the other side of the diner, Merlin approached Emma as she made her dreamcatcher.

"Emma." he said, "Emma, there is a way to make Excalibur whole again. Will you come with me today so we can get what we need? It's not far."

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"A spark from mankind's original fire, the flame of Prometheus." he replied, "It's heat forged Excalibur, and that's what we'll need to put it back together. So will you come with me to collect the spark? We'll be back by nightfall."

"…You look dire." she observed, "What is it?"

"…When we get there," Merlin said after hesitating, "We will need to deal with the first Dark One."

"The one who wore the mask? The one who killed the woman you loved?" she asked.

"The very same." he nodded, "This is not a trivial task."

"I was seeing Rumplestiltskin. Like a voice in my head. I just got rid of him. And now you want me to let another one in?" she asked.

"Yes, and not just anyone. This is the first Dark One, the original, the one from whom all the evil that followed was born." Merlin explained.

"Will we win?" she asked.

"I see two paths for our journey, Emma." he sighed, "On one, you resist the darkness and we succeed. On the other, you succumb to the darkness and I do not return. I die."

"You die?"

"Even immortality has exceptions. A Dark One does have the power to kill me." he replied.

"But they won't even be there. Not really." Emma argued before she realized what he meant, "Oh. It would be me. If you died, it would be me."

"If I die, it means that you lost your battle and the darkness stained your soul. Everything and everyone that you know will be at the mercy of the most powerful Dark One ever, yourself. No pressure." he joked.

After Merlin left Emma to collect her thoughts, he went back inside to tell the others. A few minutes later, Nicholas decided to step outside to talk to the woman he loved.

"You'll be back by nightfall, right?" he asked.

"Yes. We got get this spark thing, and then I'm working my way back to you, babe." Emma smiled as he drew close to her, "And with a bit of luck, we can put Excalibur together tomorrow, and then bam, no more darkness. And then you, Mr. Secretive, can finally come clean about you've been hiding from me."

"Nothing would make me happier." he grinned before he kissed her, "You have no idea how big of a pain in the ass it's been keeping everything under wraps around you guys. But be careful, Emma."

"I'll be fine. I'm not dying today. I'm immortal, too." she reminded.

"Yeah, but I've been playing that role a lot longer and I'll tell you this, immortality brings nothing but pain." he warned as he tried not to dwell on the negative outcome. Instead, he reached into his pocket and brought out a bronze coin the size of a half-dollar with a coat of arms on one side, and the letters LXG on the other hooked to a strap of leather. It served as the mark of his status as an agent of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

"What's that?" Emma asked.

"This coin is my most prized possession. I've had it for almost half a century and it's been with me through thick and thin. It was given to me by…someone who made the biggest difference in my life and filled it with purpose. I want you to hold on to it. Maybe give you some luck." he said as he put it in her hand, "And let it be a reminder that you've got, according to you, a goofy, sarcastic nerd who loves you very much waiting for you here."

Emma couldn't help herself but smile as she pulled her nerd in for a loving kiss. "I love you, too."

"Oh, and before I forget, there's something else I wanna show you." Nicholas said as he pulled out his phone and showed her a picture of a gray house back in Storybrooke.

"What's this supposed to be?" she asked.

"Well, this is actually my place." he replied.

"You live with Regina." Emma reminded.

"True, but this was the house she originally made for me when she created Storybrooke in the first curse." Nicholas informed, "Got tons of room. I was thinking that, maybe, once we get the darkness out of you and put everything behind us and go home…you and I can put it to some good use?"

"Are…are you asking me to move in with you?" she asked.

"Yeah." he said softly, "But only if you're ready. But just remember, you say no and you leave me to continue living with _Regina_."

"Are you trying to guilt trip me?" she laughed before kissing him again, "How's about I give you my answer when I come back?"

"I'll hold you to it." Nicholas chuckled before kissing her soft hand one last time and went back to the diner. When he left, Emma turned and saw Merlin looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"It's time." he said.

 **OUaT**

As the hush of night filled the air of Storybrooke, Allan Quartermain quietly maneuvered to the front yard of the Dark One's home with his bayonet ready in his hand. After he crossed the white gate and closed it behind him, Quartermain glared at the house with his permanent scowl.

"Come out and face me, Dark One." he said under his breath. Sure enough, Emma appeared at the base of her porch with her dagger held in a tight grip.

"I don't know who you are and I don't care. Leave now and I might just let you live." she warned darkly.

"I'm only going to say this once, give me the Philosopher's Stone." he demanded as he narrowed his eye at her and aimed his riffle at her.

"And what do you want with it?" she asked only to be answered by a bullet in her leg.

"I didn't come here to talk. I came here for the Stone." Quartermain informed as he readied the next shot, "Now then, are you going to give it to me or am I going to be taking it by force?"

"Neither," Emma glared, "Instead, you're going to die."

With a flick of her hand, she tried to break his neck with her magic only to see the exact same result when Rumplestiltskin made her do it to Bluebeard. In her brief moment of shock, Quartermain took the chance to shoot her in the chest without any remorse.

"By force it is." he muttered.

 **OUaT**

While Emma and Merlin were off on their journey, the others were devising the best way to infiltrate Camelot and steal Excalibur. Little did anyone know besides Robin and Nicholas, Camelot and her people wouldn't survive the night.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Snow asked.

"We take them by surprise and go in through the front gate." David explained while both Zelena and Nicholas smacked their heads at the horrible idea.

"Well, after what happened the other night, they'll be on high alert." Ariel pointed out, "We need a diversion at the drawbridge. The rest of us can climb the wall on the side."

"Are you forgetting? I've got magic. I can just poof into Arthur's bedroom." Regina reminded as Zelena scoffed, "What?!"

"She can't talk, sis." Nicholas reminded knowingly.

"Well, if you're going to make a scene, you might as well make noise." Regina remarked as she returned their sister's voice.

"Oh, thank you!" Zelena spoke happily, "I do love hearing a sensible person talk."

"Spit it out. What are you thinking?" she asked.

"Like Nicholas, I'm thinking going in the front is suicide. And a diversion? Arthur hides the sword. You need it on him. And you could poof right in front of a blade. Oopsie! You need to sneak in so quietly no one knows you're there." Zelena lectured.

"Huh." Nicholas smirked with his arms crossed, "That actually was exactly what I was thinking."

"I guess brains just isn't a family trait Regina has." Zelena taunted.

"How do suggest we get in?" David asked, "Hang glider? Oh, giant slingshot."

"If Sir-Castic would let me speak, I'd tell you that I wasn't idle during those days in there, playing mute handmaiden at Regina's side. I was plotting an escape."

"I knew it." Regina sighed.

"And I found a way out. And if I know a way out, I know a way in." Zelena concluded.

"You're going to help us?" Nicholas asked.

"Of course." she said trying to sound with fake sincerity even though she meant it only towards him as she raised her cuffed hand, "Because you're going to help me. I want my magic back."

"Done." Nicholas replied before anyone else could say anything. When the deal was struck, Regina reluctantly poofed them all on the outskirts of Camelot and let the no longer green witch lead the way.

"It's a tunnel, abandoned for years. It will take you to the courtyard." Zelena informed.

"Well, if it's so good, why didn't you escape through it?" Hook asked.

"Observe the massive metal grate." she bluntly indicated, "See, without magic, I'm a delicate thing."

"Well, it leads in the right direction. Looks like your information is good, at least this far." David observed.

"Thank you. Now I've done my part. You can do yours. Take off this bloody cuff." the witch demanded.

"For all we know, this leads to the guards' quarters." Regina argued, "We make it out safe with the sword, then we'll talk. Mary Margaret, how do you feel about guard duty?"

"Oh, I'd be delighted." she replied, "We'll chat, have plenty of pregnancy tips."

"Good lord, this is worse than being in my cell." Zelena complained.

"Wait for my signal, then we make our move." Nicholas whispered to Robin who nodded discreetly as Regina removed the grate and lead them all inside with their weapons ready.

 **OUaT**

Despite being endowed with the powers of both Savior and Dark One magic, Emma was failing to hold her own against the old man fighting her. Despite being far out of his prime, Quartermain was still able to easily dodge her attacks and land plenty of his own. That being said, he wasn't letting his guard down for a moment as she tried to gut him with her dagger. He certainly was glad that he hadn't shown up later after she combined the two blades; that would've made things a bit more difficult.

As she tried to land a blow with her dagger on his face, Quartermain skillfully locked her arm and broke it before grabbing her by the throat and slamming her body on the pavement. Naturally, Emma didn't let him stay ahead of her for long, so she pushed him into the gate with her magic and looked at him with a frenzy filled expression; one he met with in kind when he saw her pick up his riffle.

"I'm curious," she said, "What is it about this weapon that allows you to wound me? Is it enchanted? Or are the bullets?"

With a wave of her hand, Emma tried to feel out any and all magic surrounding the riffle. But in a matter of seconds, her dark smile disappeared as she looked at it in confusion.

"This…this is just an ordinary riffle." she said as she looked back at Quartermain. But when she saw his expression, she nearly faltered when she saw his eyes no longer blue, but pure, dark purple that faintly glowed in the night.

If you recall from previous chapters, Allan Quartermain was often referred to an old tiger. Given his attitude and his natural instincts as a hunter, this is an accurate comparison. However, the terrifying growl emanating from his throat which sounded exactly like a tiger made the comparison all the more befitting. In a complete blur, the Dark Swan found herself being held in the LXG agent's tight grip as he lifted her by the throat once again and slammed her to the ground. He then picked up his signature weapon, readied the next shot, and pressed the barrel down on her forehead.

"Don't ever touch this." he growled before filling her head with lead. True, it couldn't kill her, but getting shot at point-blank range in the head with a Winchester was more than enough to keep the Dark One down for a few moments. As she groaned and writhed with pain, Quartermain took this one chance to reach around her neck, break the chain and take back the necklace she made out of his subordinate.

Being a man of few words, he simply glared at the former Savior and crushed a transport rock to take him back to the mansion. At the base of the steps to the front door, he looked down at the glowing Stone in his hand and sighed.

"You just love to get yourself into trouble, don't you?" Quartermain asked, "You better not have lost your memories, too. If not, then you've got a lot to explain, Flamel."

 **OUaT**

While the others were literally storming the castle, Emma and Merlin walked through the forest to their mysterious destination. As they trudged up a steep hill, Emma tried to squeeze more answers out of the thousand-year-old wizard.

"When I was seeing Rumplestiltskin in my head, he said he would only be with me until I embraced my dark powers. So recently, I've been thinking maybe not seeing him, maybe that's a bad thing."

"Have you embraced your powers?" Merlin asked which brought Emma to a halt.

"I've done some dark things recently." she admitted, "I hurt someone; my son. And if I dig deep down…the darkness is winning. But there's hope, right? You wouldn't be bothering to get this spark if there wasn't still hope."

"There is hope," Merlin nodded, "And it's up there."

"That's a whole lot of up." Emma remarked as they craned their necks while looking at the hill.

"We can make it." Merlin assured, "Question is, will I come down?"

After the two magic users climbed up the hill, they finally reached the ruins of the alter that once proudly displayed the very source of humanity's true beginning.

"This structure marks the end of Prometheus' theft. The stolen flame burned on for a great while, long enough for Excalibur to be both forged and broken here. This is where the first Dark One killed Nimue, the woman I loved." Merlin explained in sadness.

"What happened to the flame?" Emma asked staring at the cold, flameless alter.

"The first Dark One took it and still possesses it in the form of a single ember, with the spark deep inside." he replied.

"So that's what I need to get. Okay. Bring him on." she said firmly as Merlin gave her the dagger, "My family let you take this?"

"I didn't ask permission. You need its power to talk to the first Dark One, to reach all the way back to the origin of Dark Magic." Merlin explained as he gave her space.

"It's buzzing, like ants crawling up my arm. Is it safe?" she asked.

"Of course not. Your power is totally unchecked, and I've just handed you the power to kill me. Now, call on the spirit of the previous Dark Ones."

"…Take the right path. It's just in my head. It's just in my head." Emma whispered as she clutched Nicholas' coin. As she focused, she watched as the names of the Dark Ones changed rapidly like a slot machine across the dagger. Before she knew it, dressed in black robes and a frightening gold mask, the first Dark One appeared before her.

"You did it." Merlin gasped.

"You can see him, too?" she asked.

"Yes. Power has its advantages." Merlin nodded before saying something that shocked Emma to her very core, "And it's not a him."

To see what the Sorcerer meant, Emma looked down at the dagger and saw the name of the first Dark One, Nimue. Looking back up, Emma watched the spirit take off the mask and reveal the stone colored face of the woman Merlin once loved.

"Nimue." Emma said.

"Yes. I am Nimue." she nodded, "And you are Emma. How pretty, the first Dark One and the newest Dark One standing as sisters."

"It makes sense." Emma realized as the pieces put themselves together, "You killed the woman he loved because you killed the woman you used to be. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did tell you." Merlin replied as he choked back the pain and tears, "The creature over there is the first Dark One. It's not the woman I loved."

"It's been a long time, Merlin." Nimue greeted.

"…I've thought of you every day." he confessed sadly.

"And now, on your last day, I'll be your last thought. How poetic." she sneered as she made Emma blast him back with her magic.

 **OUaT**

As Quartermain exited the fireplace with the Stone in his fist, the other members, including Robin flooded into the meeting room in hopes to see their leader return victorious.

"Do you have it?" Sawyer asked from the level above the floor, "Did you get the Stone?"

"What's it look like?" Quartermain asked as he held up the Stone while walking, "Contact Skinner. Have him bring back the water, now."

"Already here, Allan." Skinner informed as he hurried over with a beaker filled with the enchanted water.

"I called him the moment we realized you went out on your own." Mina informed as she and Nemo hurried over to the table. When they were all together around the nearest coffee table, they looked down at the beaker with longing hope on their faces.

"Do you really think this'll work?" Robin asked.

"We better hope so." Quartermain said shaking his head as he held the Stone by the chain over the water, "Because I just shot the Dark One in the head. Chances are she's pissed off."

"I just hope he remembers everything." Nemo commented.

"Why don't we ask him and find out?" Mina asked, "Mr. Q, if you'd please?"

Nodding his head, the leader of the team dropped the Philosopher's Stone into the beaker as everyone's eyes followed its path as it fell. With a thunk, the source of their friend's immortality and existence sank to the bottom of the container. At first, nothing happened. But just as Sawyer was about to complain, the water turned as red as blood and began to surge with red electricity as the beaker violently shook.

"I suggest we all stand back a little." Quartermain offered as they all took cover. In an instant, the beaker exploded and left the Stone floating in midair for a second before flesh, bones and tissue began to erupt from it. Looking over the chairs and couches they hid behind, the League agents watched as Nicholas grotesquely rebuilt his body and cried out in pain. When he was done and the lights were gone, he was left naked and soaking wet on the floor as he panted with an angry look on his face.

Quartermain then went over to him and draped his old duster coat over the alchemist as he helped him to his feet.

"Nicholas?" he asked, "Are you alright?"

"…Where's my goddamn pipe?" he asked as he continued to catch his breath.

"He's okay." Sawyer chuckled. Strangely enough, Robin had Nicholas' pipe on him ever since they returned home so after Mina brought him a white bathrobe, the archer returned the pipe and lit it for the weary alchemist.

"How long has it been?" Nicholas asked as they sat by the fireplace.

"It's been a couple of weeks since we came back. Almost nine in all since Emma became the Dark One." Robin replied.

"I'm guessing that's still an issue, then?" he asked.

"Considering that I just had a brief brawl with her, yes, I'd say so." Quartermain dryly informed.

"And before you ask, we barely have a month left until the Promised Day arrives." Mina added.

"And we're still a sacrifice short since the Apprentice's death." Sawyer reminded.

"What's been going on around town?" Nicholas asked as he made a ring of smoke.

"Not much." Nemo replied, "The Dark One hasn't made much contact with anyone as of late. Robin only recently found out that she's been hiding Excalibur in its stone here while having Rumplestiltskin trained to become a hero to remove it for her."

"And I happened to watch the crippled bastard leave with Belle before I engaged. By that alone, it's obvious that he succeeded in removing the sword for her." Quartermain informed.

"Well, that's just great." Nicholas said sarcastically, "Exactly what we need right now."

"The good news is you haven't miss Hook and Ariel's wedding yet." Skinner pointed out in a failed attempt to lighten the mood, "Right, not important. But on a serious note, how you two going to explain your return, Nicholas?"

"At this point, it doesn't really matter what we tell them." Nicholas huffed, "What matters is taking care of the Dark One, once and for all. What's everyone doing?"

"Sleeping, most likely." Robin scoffed, "It's only an hour until sunrise."

"How's Zelena and the baby?" he asked in concern for his present and future family members.

"For now, safe. Regina put her back in her cell below the hospital after we got back and has managed to keep her there since." Robin replied in slight distaste.

"Good because we need to make sure she's not where anyone will pay much attention to her." he informed.

"What do you have in mind?" Mina asked.

"We need to speed up her pregnancy." Nicholas firmly informed.

"What?!" Robin exclaimed.

"Whoa, mate, are you sure?" Skinner asked.

"That's a bit much even for us, don't you think?" Sawyer asked.

"Hey, I don't like it anymore that you guys. We're talking about my sister and unborn nephew/niece here." Nicholas defended, "But unless he finds a new sacrifice and another one to replace her, Zelena's gonna run the risk of losing the baby completely if it stays inside her for the next month."

"Can we even do that?" Skinner asked.

"Well, there are plenty of potions that are actually made specifically for this." Mina answered, "The most it'll do is cause Zelena some pain as her uterus and body rapidly adjusts to the growing fetus until she goes into labor. At that point, the potion will have run its course and the baby will be ready to pop out."

"Well, actually, I meant are allowed to do that?" Skinner corrected, "I mean, I know the Director has us do some dark things, but is this something he draws the line at?"

"I don't know." Quartermain shrugged, "If he finds out, I, uh, guess we'll know."

"And this won't harm my child?" Robin asked.

"The only pain it'll feel is having its body gets pushed out of her…yeah." Nicholas awkwardly assured, "After that, the potion will no longer be in effect and it'll age and grow normally."

"How would we even go about giving her the potion?" Nemo asked.

"Nemo, that's the easy part." he replied, "I'm just gonna cover her food with it and give it to her in her cell."

"You know she's probably gonna tell you spiked it even if her magic's cut off, right?" Sawyer asked.

"Then I'll give her something she's been craving. She's not gonna care about checking for laced potion in it if she's being driven by pregnancy cravings." Nicholas pointed out, "Now if all of you will excuse me, I'm going to Granny's for the early bird hour."

"You can't be serious. We're facing an emanate crisis and you're going to Granny's?" Robin asked.

"Hey! I've been a rock for the past couple of weeks!" he snapped as he transmuted his clothes on under the robe, "I may go without sleep for weeks on end, but I don't exactly do that when it comes to food. So, yes, I plan on eating my fill of cheap, tasty diner food before I take on the goddamn Dark One again!"

"Wow." Mina scoffed as Nicholas stormed out, "He gets cranky when he's hungry."

"Right then." Robin said awkwardly, "I'll, uh, I'll just go get the others over to Granny's then."

After Robin called the others and told them about Nicholas' return, they all hurried over to the diner and found the Immortal Alchemist stuffing his face in a booth surrounded by empty, dirty plates, bowls and cups. Surprisingly, Regina was the las to show up.

"Where is he?" she asked frantically, "Where's my brother?!"

"Over there," Granny said bluntly from the register, "Eating me out of business."

"Oh, Nicholas! I'm so glad you're okay." Regina said as happy years formed in her eyes while she hugged her brother as he ate.

"Go away. Eating." he said as he stuffed his face. Hearing this made Regina drop her happy expression and caused her to poof all of the remaining plates away. "Okay, I'll admit that was rude of me. But that was uncalled for on your part."

"Ugh, fine." she groaned as she summoned a plate of chicken and waffles.

"What, no hot sauce?" he asked as she gave him her signature death glare, "Kidding. Just kidding. Thank you, sis."

"How the bloody hell are you back?" Hook asked.

"Not important. What I wanna know is why the hell does it smell like home out in the woods?" Nicholas asked as he drank his coffee.

"Ah, that would probably Arthur's subjects camping out there." Snow replied.

"What?!" Nicholas exclaimed as he choked on the beverage, "Why the hell would you guys let them stay here?!"

"Well, after Emma brought them here in the curse, we-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait." Nicholas interrupted as David spoke, "We came back in a curse? Okay, well, even if we did, after what those jerks tried to pull with us, you still let them stay here?!"

"What are you talking about, Nicholas?" Ariel asked.

"Oh, for God's sake!" he cried as he smacked his forehead, "She took away your memories, didn't she? Oh, that bitch!"

"Hey!" David exclaimed as he grabbed the alchemist's collar, "That's my daughter you're talking about!"

"Not really!" Nicholas retorted.

"Flamel, mate, what the bloody hell happened between you two there?" Hook asked, "Did you have a falling out, or something?"

"…You guys seriously don't remember?" he asked with a baffled look.

"No, we told you. Emma took our memories." Regina reminded.

"Okay, first of all, no, she didn't." Nicholas corrected, "Second of all, that's not Emma."

 **OUaT**

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked, "You loved him."

"Even when you love someone, you have to say, 'No, this is mine. You can't take it away from me.' And if they don't listen, if they try to stop you from being you, then you have no choice. You have to kill them. Oh, and you're doing this," Nimue corrected as she made Emma dash over and pin Merlin down by the throat, "Because we are one and the same now, all Dark Ones, and we must destroy the threat to us. We must destroy Merlin."

"Emma, please." Merlin choked.

"It's not me!" she struggled to say.

"Finish the job!" Nimue ordered.

"Don't listen!" Merlin pleaded.

"He wants you to make a sword to destroy me, to destroy us." Nimue hissed.

"You can control this." he coached.

"Don't listen to him!" Nimue spat as she appeared on Emma's other side, "He doesn't understand what you and I do. He doesn't understand the power. If you don't kill him now, you'll go back to being powerless."

"Killing is the dark path." Merlin tried to warn.

"No! It's power to protect yourself and your loved ones!" Nimue shouted, "If you knew what was coming, you'd do anything to keep this power to save those you love."

"Let the light win." Merlin choked.

"Kill him! Don't go back to being nothing!"

"I'm not nothing!" Emma shouted in defiance, "I was never nothing! The power you have I don't need! Now I am going to take that ember from you, and you are going to let me."

"No," Nimue smiled as Emma found herself in the same spot Nimue stood and Nimue where she stood only a second before with the dagger in her hand, "I won't."

"What did you do?" Emma asked as fear began to take root inside.

"Stupid girl," Nimue sneered, "Did you really think that me, Nimue the _first_ Dark One wouldn't take advantage of the situation?"

"Emma?" Merlin asked nervously as the scene played out differently in his eyes. Instead of seeing Nimue hold the dagger, he saw Emma hold it with another Emma in black looking afraid. The only thing that made him afraid was Nimue's name was still on the dagger.

"Oh, she's not in control, anymore, beloved." Emma said with a dark look on her face as she held the dagger in front of her at Merlin, "No. There is only the darkness. There is only _Nimue!_ "

As she cried out her name, the first Dark One used the dagger to absorb the light version of her magic from Merlin and absorb it into the source of her power.

"No!" Emma cried as Nimue absorbed the streams of magic into her and let it envelope the body she had just stolen. As the magic turned black and covered her body, Nimue laughed evilly with the dagger in her hand as she took on a new form; of befitting for _the_ Dark One. When the magic was sucked into the dagger, Emma looked in horror at what Nimue had done to her body.

No longer was her hair golden and curly, it was now a sickly pale gray kept in a tight bun similar to what Nimue originally had. Her skin was no longer tanned after spending weeks in the sun in Camelot, now it was pale enough to be considered almost bleached with nothing but bright red lips to add color to her face. And finally, instead of the white dress and hood she wore since arriving to Camelot, she wore a tight, black coat with a lace trail below her tailbone with black leggings and black heels that seemed purposely sharp enough to pierce flesh.

"I suppose this will do until I can maintain my true appearance." Nimue smirked as she relished in the feeling of having a body again. Emma couldn't bring herself to say or do anything after having witnessed what just happened. Merlin, on the other hand struggled to look up at the new version of his lover as she crouched down and stroked his face.

"Looks like the light failed you once again, Merlin." she taunted darkly before looking at Camelot in the distance, "And now, it's time I make good on our promise."

"No, no, no." he begged, "Nimue, please. You don't have to do this."

"You are right." Nimue said in Emma's voice now hoarse and dark, "But I am the Dark One. It's something I want to do. And you," she said turning to Emma with the dagger directed at her, "I hope the others will enjoy your company. For you will have plenty of time to get to know them all."

"No, don't!" Emma shouted as she tried to take the dagger, but Nimue made her vanish with just a simple wave.

"Look out, Camelot." Nimue said as she gazed at the castle.

 **OUaT**

After struggling to return to the basement, Nimue made it to the stone with the dagger in one hand, and the spark necessary to reunite the blades in the other.

"Well, well, that was unexpected." Rumplestiltskin giggled at her side, "Curious, don't you think? That whoever that was didn't seem interested in the one thing that can control us. Not like he needed it given how easily he mopped the floor with you."

"Well, at least he didn't keep score as he did it." Nimue retorted, "After all, that's what the alchemist did to you when he was still just a boy, correct? Now before you try and fail to sound humorous, be quiet. It's finally time."

"Quite right, I apologize." Rumple smirked with a playful bow, "This is, after all, something historical. We all wish to see it. And we're so very proud. All of us."

"All of us." the other Dark Ones chorused as they appeared in the cave. But as they said they were all proud, the real Emma Swan who was bound in chains in her black robes on the ground looked at the woman who stole her body with pure hatred.

Seeing this, Nimue looked down on her and smirked as she ignited the flame and raised the two blades together. With a thrust, after centuries of separation, the two halves became whole once more at the hand of she who broke the blade. Unlike last time, Nimue didn't get the chance to marvel at the blade's beauty. Now that it had been remade by her hands, it seemed even better than before in her eyes.

"Look out, Storybrooke," she said darkly, "Darkness is coming."


	55. Birth

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

While Nicholas and the others were having their discussion at Granny's, Zelena was making the most out of her time beneath the hospital as much as a magicless, pregnant witch could. Despite being beyond irritated and bored, she found a way to look past both by reading to the little one growing inside her as the morning sun shined through the glass in her cell. Upstairs on the main floor of the hospital, another redhead dressed in a nurse's outfit carried a tray of food with a plastic cover over to the entrance to the basement.

"Breakfast for the witch." she said to the older nurse at the desk while the ever silent patient with the mop cleaned the floors.

"It's a bit early for that." she replied clearly cranky from getting up so early.

"True, but it's important for the baby to receive plenty of healthy nutrients at this stage."

"…Who are you?" the nurse asked, "I haven't seen you here before. What's your id number?"

But before she could receive an answer, the older nurse felt a swift chop to the neck before everything went black and hitting her head on the desk.

"Told you we should've waited for Nicholas to do this." Skinner said to Mina who sighed and shook her head.

"I agree; this would've gone smoother if that were the case. But you know as well as I that the 'heroes' are not going to let him out of their sights anytime soon now that he's back." she reasoned, "Besides, the sooner she eats this, the sooner the effects will kick in and we'll have one less inconvenience for our plans."

"Lord knows we've got plenty of those already." Skinner nodded despite being invisible, "Though, I don't think eating a plate of greasy onion rings from Granny's is 'nutritious' enough for a baby at this stage."

"Well, what nurse would give a pregnant prisoner onion rings, in a hospital no less?" Mina asked as she unlocked the cell door and took a look at Zelena for the first time. Surprisingly, despite them only being half-siblings, she could see more of a resemblance between her and Nicholas than Regina.

"I swear, if that is yet another plate of nothing but green vegetables with nothing but that Godforsaken Naked Juice to wash it down, I'm going to eat my bloody fingers instead!" Zelena threatened hotly. Naturally, neither League agent was impressed by the outburst.

"I believe you'll find this menu change a bit more enjoyable." Mina calmly replied as she uncovered the plate and presented the laced onion rings, "Bon appetite."

When she was left alone after the cell was locked, Zelena broke her act and made a rush for the greasy comestibles. But before she dug in, she noticed a small card sitting next to the plate.

 _Hope you like 'em. You don't win friends with salad, you know. ;)_

 _-N_

"Well," Zelena smirked, "I was wondering when you'd get back in the game."

Thoughts on her brother aside, the Wicked Witch scarfed down the onion rings, completely unaware that they were laced with a potion.

 **OUaT**

Having snuck past the guards, the angry party barged into the throne room where they found Arthur with three of his best knights. "Foul witch," Arthur hissed at Regina, "You've over powered the guards!"

But with a mere flick of her hand, Regina was able to stop them with her magic and made their weapons disappear.

"Sword's on the table." Robin indicated while keeping his bow, loaded with three arrows, on the knights.

"Careful, don't touch it." Hook warned, "It may have protection charms."

"Tell your timbers to stop shivering, pirate." Regina said curtly, "Nothing in here can hurt us. Arthur doesn't know how to do magic."

"Looks like we got what we came for." Nicholas smirked darkly as he grabbed Excalibur and examined it, "Okay, Robin, we can start now."

"Start what?" David asked.

"Oh, finally." Robin exhaled as he let his arrows fly and pierce each of the knights' hearts.

"Robin?!" Regina exclaimed as the bodies dropped. As they did, Nicholas opened the nearest window and used his flame alchemy on the courtyard; the sound of people screaming in fear and agony quickly followed the sound of his fingers snapping.

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?!" Hook shouted. Instead of answering, Nicholas used his alchemy to slide the floor underneath their feet and sent them on their backs as it quickly turned liquid around their arms/legs before reverting to normal and trapping them.

"Oh, we're just doing our job." Nicholas said with a dark smile before backhanding Arthur so hard, he landed in his throne with Nicholas' spears at his throat. "Now then, how should we go about killing you?"

"So many choices, all of which seem like fun." Robin chuckled shocking everyone; especially Regina. "Oh. Perhaps we should cut open his veins and let him slowly bleed to death as his kingdom and people burn?"

"Hmm…tempting." Nicholas mused, "But I was thinking more like a… _psychotic Emperor Nero_ kind of killing. Like we tear out his spine, impale him to a spike and burn his corpse like a torch."

"Hmm, no. Let's not use too much fire regarding the killings in this mission. It seems a bit redundant." Robin disagreed, "I know! How about a classic? We should use the _Blood Eagle_ technique."

"I like, I like." Nicholas nodded while Arthur became afraid, "You know, you can't beat the classics; you just can't."

" _Blood Eagle_ it is." Robin smirked as they grabbed Arthur's arm and shoved him to the ground where Nicholas created to poles with chains for the king.

"Robin!" David shouted as he and the others struggled to break free, "Nicholas, stop!"

"Sorry, pal." Nicholas said even though he didn't feel sorry at all, "But orders are orders."

"And quite frankly…we really want to do this." Robin chuckled as he pulled out a hunting knife, "All hail King Artie!"

"That's Arthur, you miserable ingrate!" Arthur spat as Nicholas was about to cuff his wrists.

"Yeah, we don't care." Nicholas bluntly replied as he pated the king's back. Just as Robin was about to bind Arthur to the other pole, the bright sunny day outside turned pitch black night in an instant. And if it hadn't been for his heightened senses, Nicholas wouldn't have raised his guard when he smelt someone new arrive.

"Please, don't stop on my account." Nimue said in Emma's body as she sat with her legs crossed on the Round Table.

"Emma?" David asked in shock.

"What's the matter, Daddy? Don't recognize your little girl?" she asked teasingly. They all looked at her with their mouths agape; all of them but Nicholas.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled as he readied his shadows.

"Don't you know?" Nimue asked with a fake pout, "Nicky, I'm hurt. It's me, Emma."

"You're not Emma." he spat, "You don't smell like her. You reek of death and darkness like Gold. Now, I'll ask politely, one last time, who the hell are you? Tell me the truth, or I'll burn it out of you, you worthless scum!"

For a moment, she tried not to break character but Nimue couldn't hold back her evil laughter for very long. When she was done, she smirked at Nicholas smugly before coming clean.

"Well, damn." Nimue sighed, "I was really looking forward to destroying all of you with my little act. No matter; I can still do that just as easily like this. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Nimue, the first Dark One."

"…You guys can get up now." Nicholas said as he freed his friends without taking his glaring eyes off of Nimue. As he did, Arthur ran like a coward and got away.

"You must be…Nicholas." Nimue stated, "So you're my latest successor's true love, then?"

"What of it?" Nicholas asked as he kept his rage in check.

"Hmm, she's got good taste, I'll give her that." she smirked while checking him out.

"Sigh…well, I guess that makes two Dark Ones that are attracted to me." Nicholas groaned, "I'm having mixed feelings about that. So are you going to tell me why you look like Emma?"

"Believe it or not, this is Emma's body. I'm just using for a while until I can maintain my true appearance permanently. Although," she said seductively, "If you want, you and I can put this body to good use until then."

"I'd sooner have anal sex with my boss." he flatly denied.

"Ugh!" Robin shuddered in disgust, "I didn't need that mental picture. Thank God I'm not on your team."

"What have you done to Emma?" Nicholas asked as the others raised their guards for the obvious conflict.

"That foolish girl is paying the price for trying to control me." she answered, "In a manner of speaking, our souls have simple traded places. You should've seen her face! The utter shock, the dumb confusion. You could see every emotion she felt as she realized after weeks of fighting, she finally lost to the darkness. Ah! It was wonderful. And now that I control her body, with her tucked away with the rest of the souls of the previous Dark Ones and Merlin's magic combined with both Emma's and my own, I shall finally, after so many years and lifetimes, fulfill the goal of the Dark One; to snuff out the light."

"I've heard enough! You were stupid to confess, and even more stupid to boast. Everything you've said is fuel on your funeral pyre." Nicholas said as his face twisted in rage while he tightened his glove, "So then, I'll think I'll begin by burning out your tongue!"

 **OUaT**

It took time, but Nicholas was able to explain everything that happened after Nimue took control of Emma's body. Needless to say, they were all shocked and didn't know what emotion best suited them. The only one who could break past their unreadable expressions was Snow who was trying her best not to cry.

"It may be hard to swallow, but it's the truth." Nicholas said as gentle as he could be, "That's not Emma. It never was."

"How do we get her back?" Ariel asked once she found her voice.

"I don't know." he replied hopelessly, "Normally, I would've been able to come up with at least five alternate options that would guarantee our success. But now, now all I see is just one. We have to destroy the darkness and hope that Emma comes back to us."

"Do we know what it is this Nimue person is planning?" Hook asked.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood for asking too many questions at the time. So, no, I have no idea how Nimue plans to go about snuffing out the light." the alchemist answered, "And as much as all of you hate it, all we can do is be patient and wait for her to make her move. I wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't reforged Excalibur already. It won't be long now."

"So that's it?" David asked, "You expect us to sit around and do nothing?"

"David," Nicholas sighed, "I understand you're-"

"No, you don't!" he shouted slamming his fist on the table, "You have no understanding of what I'm feeling! My daughter is being possessed and not in control of her own body and you sit here saying that we should do nothing?!"

"For now." he calmly corrected, "We do nothing for now. If we charge into this blindly, we may end up giving Nimue exactly what she wants, whatever that might be. We can't afford to be reckless."

"Didn't seem to stop you from the way you tell it." Snow snapped bitterly.

"Yeah, and that ended with me becoming an accessory." he reminded, "Nimue isn't a pushover, believe me. We talking about the first Dark One who not only has Emma's magic to back up her own, but Merlin's as well; and she has Excalibur. Even I know that that's enough magic to spell out trouble for all of us. If you guys wanna go ahead and charge head first without a plan, be my guests. Just remember, I only survived because I'm immortal. Can any of you say the same?"

"He's right." Regina agreed, "We knew how to deal with Rumple, but this Dark One, this Nimue, we have no idea how she operates. And if she's as powerful as Nicholas says she is, we'd be dead before we knew it."

"Exactly." Nicholas nodded.

"Well, since you fought her, do you know any of her weaknesses?" Robin asked.

"Yep. You see, like all Dark Ones, Nimue has no idea how to fight. She has no technique, no skills and she relies on both her magic and immortality too much." he explained, "Not to mention, when we fought, she tried to toy with me in hopes of getting inside my head instead of actually trying to attack me. In other words, she's an arrogant shrew that can't fight; much like Gold."

"And how the bloody hell does that help?" Hook asked.

"Because I happen to be an immortal who knows how to fight. And as long as I keep my cool and not let her get the upper hand again, Nimue will have her hands full while you guys figure out how to take care of the darkness once and for all." Nicholas explained before feeling his phone vibrate from the text he was waiting on from Mina.

"What are you gonna do?" Snow asked.

"Well, as of now, I have an appointment to go to. You'll know when I'm done when you hear the screaming in the background of the hospital's phone call. Ciao." he said before transmuting himself to the hospital.

In her cell, Zelena was reading aloud the story of Hansel and Gretel to her baby. As she did, Nicholas appeared standing before her with a mysterious smile on his face.

"I've always thought how funny these sugar-coated versions of our stories are compared to what actually happened, don't you?" he asked.

"Not as funny as hearing word of the Immortal Alchemist being turned into jewelry by his crazy girlfriend." Zelena mocked as she set the book aside and crossed her arms, "What do you want, little brother?"

"Now is that any way to greet me after being stuck like that these past few weeks?" he asked pretending to act hurt, "I'm hurt. I even bought you onion rings."

"I suppose I should say thanks for the nosh." she reluctantly admitted.

"You know, you don't remember this, but we actually grew pretty close in Camelot." Nicholas said with a sad smile.

"Please." she scoffed rolling her eyes.

"It's true." he said sincerely, "Whenever I wasn't helping Emma and when you weren't pestering Regina, we actually connected. Like brothers and sisters should."

"Should my heart be fluttering with hope?" she asked sarcastically, "Why would you go out of your way to try anything like that?"

"Because aside from Regina, you're the only blood I've got left." he replied, "I don't care what you've done in the past, Zelena. You're my sister, my family. Besides, compared to what Regina and I have done, you've done almost nothing; you know, besides tricking a man into thinking you were his wife and getting him to knock you up."

"…You didn't come here just for that." Zelena said as she tried to figure out his intent, "This is more than just a touching brother-sister moment."

"Shrewdness does run in the family." Nicholas nodded, "And you're right. I came here to apologize in advance for what's about to happen."

"What?" Zelena asked before she felt her baby kick. At first she was happy, but when the kicks became harder and she began to feel pain, that happiness went away.

"This." he said stoically, "You know, you really should've questioned why a hospital would allow a pregnant prisoner onion rings in the first place before eating them. For what it's worth, sis, I am sorry about this. But you'll thank me in the upcoming month."

"You bastard!" Zelena cried in pain as her stomach began to grow and as he left the cell. Once he called Robin and Regina, they helped her upstairs and wheeled her up to the maternity ward.

"Just keep calm and breathe." Robin coached.

"Shut up!" Zelena snapped, "I was a fake midwife, I know the drill."

"Nicholas, why the hell did you do this?!" Regina exclaimed.

"I have my reasons." he curtly replied over his other sister's screaming, "I bet none of us are ever gonna look at onion rings the same way after this though, eh?"

 **OUaT**

"Get out of here, all of you." Nicholas ordered as he gave Nimue a terrifying glare, "I'm taking her on my own. This one is mine and mine alone."

"Everyone, we should heed his words and leave." Robin advised before Nimue stopped them by shutting the only entrance.

"I don't recall giving you permission to leave." Nimue pointed out, "I came here to cause pain and misery and that's exactly what you'll-gah!"

As Nimue spoke, Nicholas snapped his fingers and incinerated her tongue mid-speech. "Keep your eyes on me, Dark One." he spat, "Our conversation is the only one that should concern you. It's kind of interesting how quickly the tongue can be rendered to a bubbling grease. It's surprising how easy it burns, isn't it?"

"Regina," David asked, "Do you really think we should-"

"David, if you think it's bad when I get angry, you haven't seen anything yet. Not when Nicholas gets like this." Regina cut off as her brother's face turned murderous.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"You heard my sister, shepherd." Nicholas growled, "And unless you want to get caught in the crossfire, go. And, Locksley, don't forget why we're here."

"Roger." he nodded as he led the others out.

"Dammit." Nimue growled as her tongue finished healing, "You've made a mistake in facing me, alchemist. A grave mistake, indeed. When I'm done with you, I swear, I'll make each of your family pay!"

But Nicholas couldn't care less about what she was saying. All he cared about was bringing her pain and to do just that, he delivered a powerful punch to her solar plexus before grabbing her head and smashing it through the window and tossing her into the courtyard.

"Rumplestiltskin always managed to disappoint me whenever we fought." he said as he made a staircase from the wall that led to the courtyard, "I hope the first Dark One can prove herself to be better."

"Oh, you'll see what I can do, no question!" Nimue shouted as she readied two balls of black fire in her hands. Nicholas easily dodged them like a kid would dodgeballs before snapping his fingers again; only this time instead of her tongue, he made her eyes burst with flames.

"What's it like having the fluid inside of your eyes boil?" he asked, "I'd imagine it might sting a little."

"Damn you!" she wailed just as he enveloped her and a large portion of the castle in fire.

"I'm never going to understand why so many people are afraid of Dark Ones. They can't fight and all they ever do is talk. Just like you, you idiot." Nicholas glared, "Stand up, demon! Go on and heal yourself. You'll suffer a thousand deaths before I'm done."

"Go to hell!" Nimue cried as she flung multiple nearby swords at him, all of which bounced off his shield as she scrambled away.

"You cowardly bitch!" he roared. Not in any mood to play hide and seek, Nicholas used both gloves to unleash two powerful blasts of fire that began to consume the castle and destroy parts of its foundation. As the blasts were made, Nicholas could hear Nimue cry out as it enveloped her.

"Show yourself, Nimue!" he ordered as he moved through the smoke.

"Dammit." she cursed behind her flaming source of cover before scampering away.

"Come out now. Otherwise I'm gonna ignite your bone marrow!" he threatened before hearing footsteps behind him. With his hand at the ready, he turned and saw Emma looking the way she did on their anniversary.

"Nicky, help me." she pleaded as Nicholas' eyes widened. When she saw this, Nimue charged at him with an evil animalistic smile.

"Stupid fool, he won't kill the girl!" she thought. But she was proven wrong when Nicholas growled at her and engulfed her body in the flames of hatred he was tending.

"What's wrong with you?!" she cried in agony while writhing in pain in the fire, "You didn't even hesitate to incinerate the woman you love!"

"I can tell when it's Emma I'm talking to." Nicholas said as his face tightened with rage, "And you dare to invoke her image like that? You must be a glutton for punishment!"

The next blast was so powerful, it sent Nimue's flaming body into the farthest wall like cannon fire. "Damn!" she shrieked as her body burned and healed while charging at him, "I'll show you real punishment!"

But as the first Dark One got close to him, her anger fueled confidence, literally, went up in flames when Nicholas incinerated her eyes again. She found herself writhing on the ground again in unimaginable pain as the alchemist loomed over her menacingly.

"My eyes!" Nimue cried, "They're gone!"

"So, I'm curious." Nicholas said in a dark tone, "Were you trying to get close so I wouldn't use heavy fire? You didn't know I could do pinpoint aiming? Too bad for you, because I can!"

Even louder cries of pain tore through Nimue's throat as the Immortal Alchemist burned her flesh. Fear began to consume her as she realized he was too strong for her. So with no other choice, Nimue poofed herself away from the burning castle and fled from the battle. But even with all the burning stone, wood, flesh and smoke in the air, Nicholas was still able to find her scent and traced it back to the woods where Granny's was.

"You're not getting away." he snarled as he transmuted himself to the diner in pursuit.

 **OUaT**

In the hospital, the sound of Zelena screaming filled the halls as the pains of labor coursed through her body seven months sooner than she imagined.

"Someone scream for a doctor?" Dr. Whale asked sporting a platinum blonde look instead of his natural brunette color.

"There is an angry baby inside of me. Get it out!" Zelena shouted.

"You know, the last time I delivered a baby, you tried to steal it. But why try to steal one when making one is so much more fun, right?" Whale asked jokingly before stretching his gloved hand out to Zelena, "Dr. Whale."

"Do you make a point to include innuendo in each of your sentences or is it some kind of tick you have?" Nicholas asked bluntly finding the doctor's joke inappropriate.

"We really need another doctor in this town." Regina remarked, "And what's with the dye job?"

"Oh, so-so Emma changes her hair and no one makes a fuss, but I get ridiculed? Yeah?" Whale asked feeling offended, "Come on. You know you like it."

"Oh, my God, stop talking!" Zelena pleaded, "Didn't I kill you the last time I was here?"

"No, you just threw me across the room. I hope that doesn't happen again this time." he corrected while everyone looked at him dryly, "Okay, all business today. Got it. Uh, let's get those vitals going, and get that baby out of you."

After everything was said and done, Zelena gave birth to a healthy, beautiful baby girl; who fortunately wasn't green. When the sound of the baby's first cries rang through the hall, Regina, Nicholas and Snow were waiting by the door, each of them with different feelings. On one hand, Regina felt sick to her stomach that her sister just gave birth to the man she loved's baby even though she was happy for him. One the other, Nicholas was looking forward to see the newest addition to his family.

"I can't believe it's really come down to this." Regina sighed, "Am I really helping Zelena?"

"It's the right thing to do, Regina." Snow reminded, "So, are you two ready to meet the newest member of your family?"

"Honestly, I don't know." she answered.

"Well, I, for one, am." Nicholas replied being the first to enter the room with his sister reluctantly at his heels. Once he knocked on the doorframe, Nicholas watched his comrade happily cradle his daughter.

"Nicholas, Regina." he smiled, "I have a daughter."

"That's wonderful." Regina softly praised.

"Look who's green with envy now?" Zelena asked tauntingly.

 **OUaT**

Having fled to the diner, Nimue hurriedly prepared the necessary ingredients for what she was preparing in the kitchen; and, no, it wasn't Granny's (in)famous chili. Despite it being brief, Nimue's battle with Nicholas proved to be a powerful demonstration of who was the most powerful between the two. And despite being immortal herself, Nimue feared for her life and decided to escape from Nicholas as far as she could. All the way back to Storybrooke.

Everything was ready save for one ingredient, the heart of the one she loved most, and ironically, that was still Merlin. The moment she crushed his heart over the pot containing the curse, Nicholas barged in with a look of pure bloodlust still cast over his face. But when he saw Merlin lying on the floor dead, he took a moment to close the wizard's eyes, bid his farewell and deconstruct his body so no one would ever befoul it.

"Nimy, I'm home!" Nicholas called as his shadows were aimed at the Dark One.

"Glad you could make, dear!" Nimue retorted as a ball of steaming liquid swirled in her hand, "Soup's on!"

The moment she hurled the ball at him, Nicholas' arm was melted down to a puddle as it made contact.

"Gah!" he shouted in pain while Nimue smiled evilly at him, "What is this?!"

"A gift from Arthur." she replied as she gathered more and sent it flying at him, "Originally, it was intended for all of you, but I believe you deserve it more!"

With each ball of the magical acid making contact with his body, Nicholas felt his flesh melt away before disintegrating. Even his Ultimate Shield couldn't spare him the pain as Nimue retaliated against him. Finally, when there was nothing left of him but his torso and head, the first Dark One gathered the remaining acid and raised it over him with a twisted gleeful expression on her face.

"You and I aren't done yet." Nicholas warned before she doused him with the acid and left nothing but the searing ooze it made and his Philosopher's Stone lying in a puddle. Before he could recreate his body, Nimue quickly waved her hand and cast a preservation spell over it while adding a chain to make it into a necklace.

It was then that an idea popped into her head. Now that the threat to her was taken care of, she could finally toy with people in whatever way she wanted. So to do just that, she summoned everyone who came from Storybrooke, knocked them out and left them on the floor while she added a dreamcatcher to her concoction to take their memories.

"I may have failed in Camelot," she whispered to herself, "But Storybrooke may just be the place to complete my goal."

And with that, the purple and yellow smoke enveloped them all, including the survivors of Camelot, and swept them away to the other realm.

 **OUaT**

Night eventually fell on Storybrooke. So far, Nimue hadn't made a move in her plan yet and decided to stay out of everyone's sight. When she was sure the coast was clear, she teleported herself to the lake where the fury attempted to drag Robin to the Underworld. In one hand was Excalibur and in the other was a piece of cloth with dried blood.

During his brief time as her prisoner, Gold was trained to become a hero worthy to remove Excalibur from the stone once again. During this time, he had gotten a few scrapes here and there and for her plan to work, Nimue needed just a small amount of his blood. His blood was special, you see for Rumplestiltskin was a man who had done what few can claim; he died and then he returned. And the blood of a man like that was exactly what she wanted.

The moment Nimue dipped the cloth into the water, "her" body went limp and fell to the ground as the mists rolled over the water and the feeling of death crept past the shadows. When she awoke, it was no longer Nimue controlling Emma's body, but Emma herself once more. But it was too late, the deed had already been done.

Once her vision finally cleared, Emma saw the ferry of the damned filled to the brim with people in black hoods floating on the water. In addition to that, a single hooded figure wearing a mask walked across the water and approached her. Taking the mask off, Nimue revealed her true appearance with a terrible smile.

"Thank you, Emma." she said, "We couldn't have done this without you."

 **Let me know what you guys think. Your reviews and critique give me motivation to write more.**


	56. Swan Song

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

After all of the Dark Ones got off of the ferry and headed into town, Emma collected herself as best she could before transporting herself into town in hopes to find her family before any of her late predecessors did. Focusing on Nicholas, she poofed to the hospital where the three siblings and Robin were on high alert.

"Get the hell away from my daughter!" Robin hissed with his sword pointed at her.

"Guys, please, listen to me." Emma begged, "I'm not Nimue, I swear."

"Like we'd believe that." Regina scoffed with a fire ball in her hand.

"Wait." Nicholas said as he stared the newest Dark One in the eye. Despite his harden glare, he gently approached her to see if it truly was his true love. It took a moment, but Nicholas confirmed that it really was Emma when he dropped his glare and captured her lips in his.

"Well, I guess that answers that." Regina stiffly remarked as she extinguished her fireball and looked away from her little brother's make-out session.

"How did you do it?" he asked after they parted, "How did you break Nimue's control?"

"I didn't." she answered, "And that's why I'm here. We've got trouble."

Once everyone was notified that Emma was in control once again, they all gathered in Regina's office with a dreamcatcher in each of their hands. Emma then used her magic to return their memories and then explained what Nimue had done. When that was said and done, they headed outside in order to search for the enemy.

"Let me get this straight," Regina bluntly said, "All of the dead Dark Ones are running around Storybrooke as we speak?"

"Yeah, and if you thought Nimue was bad, imagine what the rest of them are like." Emma nodded hotly as they walked through main street, "Trust me, after spending over three weeks with them in Nimue's, or my head, I can tell you none of them are pleasant."

"Heh, now you know what I go through every day." Nicholas chuckled in his head while the dwarves caught up with them.

"There's more than one Dark One?!" Leroy asked.

"It's a long story." David waved off.

"Well, no matter. There's seven of us." he argued.

"Six. Dopey's still a tree." Happy dryly reminded.

"We may be down a dwarf, but we've got you back, Flamel, and we're ready to fight."

"I admire your enthusiasm, Leroy, but take it from me, fighting Dark Ones isn't as challenging as you may think." Nicholas replied, "Regardless, we need to hit them with everything we've got."

"Regina and I will search by the woods." Robin said as he and Regina broke off from the group.

"Aye, Ariel and I will check the harbor." Hook nodded as they left.

"David, you and Snow scope around Granny's while Leroy and the others stay here in main street to keep an eye on the roads." Nicholas advised, "Henry, you stick with me and your mom."

"Right." the boy nodded while trying to stay calm.

While Robin and Regina headed towards the woods, Zelena appeared in a puff of green smoke in front of them.

"Careful who you sneak up on." Robin glared as he aimed his bow at her.

"Get out of our way, Zelena. We don't have time for this." Regina dryly sighed.

"I'd like to have a little chat about my daughter." Zelena informed.

"Our daughter." Robin reminded.

"About that. I've worked up a teeny alteration to our custody arrangement. I've decided to grant myself sole custody." she explained, "See, I'd like to raise her by myself without you two and Nicholas getting in my way. I'm going to teach her how to be wicked."

"You and try and take my daughter away from me and you'll regret it." Robin warned, "The only reason I haven't killed you yet is because of your pregnancy and now our daughter. Try my patience any further and I may just let my fingers slip."

"Oh, come on." Zelena laughed, "There's no point in threatening me over our darling baby girl because, soon enough, you'll both be dead, and then I can just take her."

"What do you mean we'll be dead?" Regina asked.

"Ask them." Zelena gestured to the two black hooded specters behind them before poofing away.

"Dark Ones, stand back!" Robin warned Regina. Elsewhere, David and Snow began to conduct their search.

"Come on. We can cover more ground in the truck." David suggested as he ran over to the vehicle. As soon as he glanced in the mirror, he saw two more Dark Ones behind his wife, "Behind you!"

The process continued with six other Dark Ones intercepting the dwarves, two more with Hook and Ariel, one with Rumple, and Nimue intercepting Henry behind Emma and Nicholas' backs outside of the pawn shop.

"Mom, Uncle, help me!" he pleaded when he saw Nimue.

"Henry, don't move!" Emma shouted.

"Too late for that." Nimue calmly dismissed as she literally walked through Henry's body before disappearing.

"Henry, are you okay?!" Nicholas asked as the others regrouped with them.

"I-I think so." he nodded.

"What the hell just happened to us?!" Ariel asked hotly.

"I think I may have the answer to that." Gold replied as he joined them with Excalibur in his hands, "Check your wrists. Found this by the lake. You know, Ms. Swan, you really should keep better track of the one thing in existence that can kill you. It might just keep you alive."

When they did, they all saw a brand resembling a spider on their wrists. "What is that?" Emma asked.

"That is the mark of Charon." Gold replied hopelessly.

"Charon?" Henry asked, "He was the ferryman in the old myths. He navigated a boat to the Underworld."

"Smart lad. You see, the Dark Ones only have a temporary pass into this world, like a-like a tourist visa. The only way for them to stay is-"

"Is to trade places with living souls." Nicholas gasped, "Equivalent Exchange."

"Meaning us." David realized.

"Exactly." Rumple nodded, "And when the moon reaches its peak, the ferry from the Underworld will arrive and drag us down there."

"That doesn't sound good." David muttered.

"Speaking as one who's died and been there, it's not." Gold retorted.

"So how do we stop it?" Regina asked.

"We can't." he replied, "The Underworld is worse than you can possible imagine. It's gonna make you wish the old stories of fire and brimstone were true. It's going to make you wish for death. And then the realization will hit that death has already come, and this fresh torture is all that's left."

"Gold, you're scaring Henry." Emma admonished.

"Good, because we should all be scared. This is death itself. This is a fight we cannot win."

"No." Nicholas denied, "Emma and I aren't marked. We're not giving up, not now, not ever. There has to be something we can do."

"You're right. There is something." Gold nodded, "Use this time wisely. Use it to say goodbye."

After he left, the Charmings and Mills siblings didn't waste any time in heading to the vault in search of answers to their predicament. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to have what they were looking for.

"There has to be a way to escape this mark." Henry stressed. His grandparents, however, didn't share his enthusiasm.

"Maybe Gold is right." Snow admitted, "Maybe this is a fight we can't win."

"Mom," Emma said in disbelief, "You're Snow White. You don't know how to give up. Hope is in your blood."

"And I do hope, Emma, but I don't want to spend what could be my last moments with my nose in a book. I want to make the most of my moments with my family." she said as tears began to form in her daughter's eyes.

"Dinner at Granny's." Henry spoke up, "That's what we should do."

"Yeah," David agreed, "Dinner at Granny's. That's a great idea."

"What about Neal?" Emma asked, "He'll be left here all alone."

"He won't be alone, Emma." Snow said with a sad smile, "He'll have you."

"I will not give up on my own family." Emma argued as she tried not to cry.

"Emma, we're almost out of time. And time is what's most important; time with those we love." Snow choked as she kissed her princess's head, "I know you won't stop trying. And I hope you succeed, but promise me that you'll come meet us at Granny's, come say goodbye."

"I promise." Emma said as the tears finally escaped while her mother hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Emma." Snow said.

"I love you, too." Emma said back. After they all left, Regina was the only one to stay behind to speak to Emma.

"So, I hear we're giving up." Regina said.

"No. Not tonight. Not ever." she denied, "If I can destroy the Dark Ones, no souls will be owed, and you will all be spared."

"How?"

"Do you remember the promise you made in Camelot to do whatever was necessary to get rid of the darkness?" Emma asked.

"I don't like where this is going."

"I need you to keep that promise now. And I need you to swear not to tell anyone else; especially Nicholas." Emma pleaded.

"But to get rid of the darkness, you still have to put it in someone and sacrifice them. Who?" Regina asked.

"…Me." Emma said. Later, Nicholas and Robin went over to the pawn shop to get Excalibur back.

"We're closed." Gold snapped as he came out from the back, "Please, go away."

"No. We're not going down without a fight." Robin shot down, "I bet there are a lot of people in the Underworld who would be thrilled to see you and Regina."

"We deserve it." he scoffed, "And it doesn't matter. There is no alternative."

"There might be, but I will need Excalibur." Nicholas debated.

"The only way Excalibur would be of any use would be if-"

"If Emma takes all the darkness into herself and uses the sword to destroy it." Robin finished while Nicholas gritted his teeth and looked to the side.

"And herself." Gold added with an astonished expression. No longer needing any more words to convince him, the ex-Dark One went back behind the curtain and came out with the sword in hand.

"Excalibur was always destined for the hands of a true hero." Gold muttered as he gave it to the two gentlemen.

"That's it?" Nicholas asked, "You don't want to make a deal or something?"

"No." he said simply, "Tell Ms. Swan something for me? Tell her, she's a brave woman for doing this, and that it was an honor to fight alongside her and against her. But her plan might not work."

"What?" Robin asked, "Why?"

"Well, that blade it chooses who it finds worthy. And it chooses its miracles."

"It doesn't matter." Nicholas said as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat, "This will all be over tonight."

After they exited the pawn shop, Robin decided to meet up with Regina at her office while Nicholas returned to Emma to give her back the sword at the loft. When the couple stormed in, they saw Zelena with her feet propped on Regina's desk.

"Gina! Robbie! Come on in." she happily greeted with a green color chart in her hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Regina asked.

"At the moment, I'm trying to decided what color would look best on your walls. I mean, my walls. Kelly? Hunter? Pistachio? Oh, my God, I just realized that all three of those work as baby names. Haha! It's all just coming together." Zelena laughed while Regina grabbed the chart and dumped it in the trash, "Cheeky."

"You're not moving in, sis." Regina said flatly.

"Well, perhaps I'm slightly premature, but in an hour, you'll both be dead, then everything that's yours, including our brother's love, will be mine. And, of course, I get the baby." Zelena smiled.

"No." Robin denied, "You see, our child deserves her best chance."

"And that's not with you." Regina agreed as she pulled out the Apprentice's wand.

"Oh, yes. The withered knob of that sad old man. Uh, if memory serves, the last time you tried to use it, you weren't powerful enough to make it work." Zelena reminded before Regina made the wand glow purple and shake with power.

"If my memory serves, last time, I didn't believe in myself. But now I do, as does everyone else in this town. So, let's go somewhere, just the two of us." Regina smirked while Robin's eyes widen when he caught on to her intention.

"Regina, wait!" he said, but it was too late. His soulmate poofed herself and her sister away in clouds of purple smoke. In a panic, he reached into his pocket for his League shell to contact Nicholas, "Oh, Nicholas is going to kill me!"

As he did this, the two sisters found themselves up in the clock tower where they did battle once.

"Oh, such a letdown. I thought you were gonna use the thingy." Zelena mocked.

"Oh, I am. So you better hang on." Regina smirked as she used the wand to create another green tornado; only this one was made for just one person this time around. But just before it could suck Zelena away, another, natural tornado collided with it and caused it to disappear before dispelling itself.

"The hell?" Regina asked before Nicholas transmuted himself below the stairs, joined up with them, grabbed both his sisters' by their heads and slammed them into each other.

"You idiot!" he shouted as he grabbed Regina's shoulders angrily, "Do you have any idea how close you came to ruining everything?! You almost sent us months back!"

"What are you-" Regina said surprised at her brother's antics.

"And you!" he cut off as he pointed at his eldest sister, "You could've just stayed in the hospital, but no! You had to go and piss everyone off again. I've had it with you two! And I am not going to let this sister-spat of yours ruin everything I've spent decades working on!

"You're going back to the hospital!" Nicholas yelled at Zelena before turning to Regina, "And you're going back to Robin!"

"Like hell I am!" Zelena seethed.

"I'm not giving you a choice." Nicholas growled as he reached into his pocket and blew poppy dust in her face, knocking her out cold. When she collapsed, he crushed a transport rock and threw the dust at her which sent her back to her cell.

"Now, am I going to have to make you leave?" he asked his remaining sister. Instead of arguing, she just left in a cloud of smoke. After that little family squabble was settled, Emma decided to break her promise to her loved ones.

Out of their line of sight, Emma watched her parents, baby brother and son eat their last meal together in the diner while soft music played in the background. With tears in her eyes and on her face, she set down her letter to them on the jukebox.

"I'm sorry." she whispered before leaving. Not five minutes later, Snow went to change the music and found her letter.

"Oh, no." she whispered as she read it, "David?"

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's Emma." she said handing him the letter.

"We got to stop her." he said as his eyes widened.

"You don't have to worry." Nimue assured as she and two other Dark Ones appeared at their table, "She can't save you, anyway. Which means there is no way to stop your trip to the Underworld."

With a thrust of her hand, she used her magic to make all the marks glow and transported them to the lake where the ferry was waiting for them.

"Henry?" Regina asked when she saw her son, "Are you alright?"

"I-I think so." he nodded in confusion.

"Neal's back at the diner!" Snow panicked when she didn't see her baby.

"Roland and the baby, where are they?" David asked Robin.

"They're safe. They're with friends." he said meaning his comrades, "They'll take Neal, as well."

"So this is really it." Henry said as everyone looked at all the Dark Ones surrounding them while the S.S Purgatory came into view.

"So much for our wedding." Hook sadly joked as he held Ariel to his chest as she cried silently.

"Well, we can always spend eternity in hell together." she joked through her sniffling.

"Aye." he laughed as tears brimmed in his eyes as Nicholas and Emma came running over to everyone with Excalibur.

"Mom, Dad! Henry!" Emma cried as she ran up to hug them, "I'm sorry, I tried!"

"We know. It's okay." Snow soothed as they all hugged.

"It's time." Nimue smiled darkly.

"No, you're not taking the people I love!" she cried as she tried to rush her only to be stopped by her twisted magic.

"I may not be able to kill you. But I can stop you from interfering." Nimue said over her choking before it became laughter, "What are you doing? Why are you laughing, Emma?!"

"I'm…not…Emma." she choked while smirking before turning into Nicholas.

"I am." the other Nicholas said before poofing back to Emma as she raised the sword and absorb all of the Dark Ones into Excalibur. Now black, red and silver, Excalibur hummed with power as it shook in Emma's hand, but despite knowing her plan, Nicholas wasn't ready for her to go through with it.

"Emma, you can't do this." he pleaded.

"Baby, we both know there's no other way. We have to hurry." she said with a sad smile and tears, "The darkness won't stay trapped in Excalibur much longer. Take it."

"Please, no." he begged.

"Nicholas, please. You have to help me. Take it." Emma cried.

"I can't. You sacrificed enough, already."

"But I was weak." she sniffled, "I let Nimue take control. If anyone should go to the Underworld, it's me because of that. Let me make up for that weakness by being strong now."

"I can't lose you again." he said as tears rolled down his face.

"And I don't want to lose you. But you have to let me go." she said as their loved ones watched the scene with tears of their own, "Let me die a hero. It's my job to protect everyone as the Savior. That's who I want you to remember, please!"

Seeing that there was no getting through to her, Nicholas relented and approached her outstretched hand to take the sword; little did anyone see, but he discreetly slit his hand with his claw and kept it from healing. Instead of taking the sword, he used his injured hand to bring her head in for one last kiss.

"I love you." Emma whispered.

"I love you, too." Nicholas said back as he took a deep breath, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." she whispered.

"No, for this." he said before punching her in the jaw and sending her to the ground. In her daze, Emma could do nothing to stop him as he pulled down her sleeve and tore through her arm before grabbing it with his cut hand.

"Trade ya." he said before groaning out in pain. Even through his layers, everyone could see his glowing Stone run through his arm and hand into Emma's forearm. As this happened, the darkness left Emma and went to him instead.

When the transfer was complete, Nicholas used what strength he had left to push Emma away as he grabbed Excalibur and raised it into the air. Taking a look at his friends, his nephew and his sister, the alchemist said one final word to them.

"Goodbye." And before they could stop him, he impaled himself in the chest with the sword and watched as it crumbled away. Emma scrambled to her feet as light began to envelope her while she caught the man she loved. When it was gone, she was back to normal wearing her trademark jacket.

As for Nicholas, with the Philosopher's Stone no longer inside him, his body began to show years of scars from his time as a slave and as an LXG agent; if they hadn't all seen it, no one would have been able to recognize him through all the facial scars, the milky, blind right eye and the pure white hair on his head.

Robin had to use all of his strength to hold Henry and Regina back as they cried and tried to go to him. And, yes, even he had to hold back a tear or two at the sight of his friend and brother-in-arms dead. All Emma could do was cry over his chest.

The Immortal Alchemist was dead.

Having seen it all from the mansion, Sawyer, Mina and Quartermain disguised themselves as the paramedics and picked up their comrade's body. Emma held on to his damaged hand as long as she could before they took him away. As she cried, Snow apologized to her and held her close as she sobbed.

Regina tried to stay strong, but she couldn't stop the tears from escaping. Her beloved little brother, the light that shined in her heart through all times of darkness…her Abby was dead. Henry was no different. He cried and cried over the loss of his uncle; over the man who was more of a father to him than anyone.

David and Snow let a few tears slip since their friend's death. Guilt also filled them out of not being able to make up for wronging him. Now, they realized, they never could.

Hook and Ariel wept for him, as well. If it hadn't been for him, they may not have fallen in love and helped save each other. They couldn't bring themselves to stay long. As soon as they heard the sirens approach, they went back to the Jolly Roger to grieve.

Gold didn't cry over Nicholas' death and not because he was glad. No, far from it. In hindsight, he realized that he never despised the alchemist like he always thought. In the end, he finally realized that Nicholas Flamel was his rival; one that he respected and would miss.

The next day, Emma was laying on her coach in silence as she held Nicholas's coin to her heart. She hadn't slept a wink after what happened. All she wanted was to be alone while she grieved.

Outside the house, Robin approached the white gate with a heavy heart. He didn't bother to go back to the mansion, he wanted to give the others space while they bid their farewells to their family member; and while they made preparations for what he had in mind. As he walked to the door, he thought back to the previous day.

 **OUaT**

After they left the pawn shop, Nicholas caught whiff of something strange nearby. When realized that it was coming off of the sword in his hand, his eyes widened with shock and when he did this, Robin caught on and became angry. So angry that he was about to storm back into the shop and teach Gold a lesson. But Nicholas stopped him.

"It's not ideal." he said as he grabbed the man's arm, "But it's what we need."

 **OUaT**

Putting those thoughts aside, he knocked on the door and waited for Emma to let him in. "Robin?" she asked before sighing miserably, "Please, just go."

"Emma," he said trying to be gentle, "There's something I need to tell you. And you're not going to like it."

After they finished talking, Emma texted Gold and basically ordered him to meet them at his shop. They waited at the register counter for him to come in. Emma looked as though she had been punched in the gut. Robin, however, looked like he was going to punch someone in the gut instead.

"Now, you see," Gold sighed as he walked inside, "This isn't the library or Granny's or some bus station, Miss Swan. This is my shop. Unless the sign says 'open' you're not invited."

"Oh, no, we were." Robin denied through his gritting teeth, "Isn't that right, Emma?"

"I hear whispering. It's the dagger. It's calling to me." Emma said.

"You're both upset, imagining things." Gold tried to reason.

"No, we're not. It's here, isn't it?" Emma asked, "You have it, don't you?"

"…Yes, I do." Gold admitted with a somewhat guilty smirk as he revealed a new, black version of the dagger with his name written in silver on it.

"You are the Dark One." Emma whispered, "Again."

"Yeah." he smirked, "Had hoped to keep that secret. Wasn't expecting you to hear it. But then, most ex-Dark Ones are dead."

"How is this possible?" she asked.

"When Flamel and Locksley here came to me, asking for the sword, I had seen an opportunity. A chance I had never imagined would present itself again. As fate would have it, a small vial of magic was close at hand. One sprinkle, and I knew I could get it all back. I turned the sword into a conduit. So that while Flamel thought he was destroying the darkness, he was actually moving it. Channeling it someplace safe."

"Into you." Robin snarled.

"He had no idea." Gold smirked, "And now, things are as they should be."

"Oh, he knew, alright, you bastard." Robin thought angrily, "He knew exactly what you were planning."

"Nicholas sacrificed himself, and you took that from him!" Emma yelled as she tried to grab his neck only to be stopped with ease.

"Do you honestly think that you can hurt me?" he asked unimpressed, "I now have the combined power of every Dark One who ever lived; including you."

"You found a loophole, betrayed us all again." Robin seethed.

"It's what I do." Rumple smirked arrogantly, "It's the man I am."

"And it's arrogance like that that will cost you." Robin chuckled.

"What are you talking about?" Gold asked as the archer pulled out his phone.

"You know, I actually don't mind all this technology around here. It's actually quite interesting." he said with a fake smile, "One of these app things Regina showed me really caught my eye. They call it 'facetime' here; odd word, don't you think?"

"What are you getting at?" Gold asked narrowing his eyes.

"This." Robin flatly said as he pulled up facetime on his phone. Instead of seeing just a person, Emma and Gold could see Gold's bedroom with Belle sleeping soundly in bed; only, she wasn't alone.

With his face covered and gun loaded, Sawyer was glaring at the phone when he saw the Dark One's face while pointing his revolver at Belle's head. To remind him not to make too much noise and wake her, he slowly raised his finger to his covered mouth.

"You're going to do something for us, Dark One." Robin whispered menacingly, "Or she dies."

"Do you really think I can't stop that from here?" he asked as he tried to snap Sawyer's neck only to see nothing happen.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Robin coolly replied, "You see, you made a grave mistake when you started all of this. And now that Nicholas is gone, you've pissed off a group of people that you don't want as enemies; and I happen to be part of that group."

"Don't test me." Rumple growled before Robin grabbed his dagger and slammed it between his fingers.

"Don't test me!" he spat softly, "You have a minute to comply, otherwise, even if you kill us, Belle's brains will be splattered all over your bedroom."

"You're bluffing." Gold scoffed.

"I don't bluff." Robin denied, "Forty-five seconds."

"You wouldn't kill Belle. She saved you from me." he reasoned.

"I've killed for worse. And I've killed people more innocent than her. Thirty seconds."

"Robin, what are you doing?" Emma asked, "You didn't tell me about this."

"No, I didn't." he nodded not taking his eyes off of Gold, "Now you know why. Fifteen seconds. What's it going to be, Dark One? Tick-tock. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,"

Sawyer then cocked the revolver and placed his finger in the trigger, fully prepared to shoot.

"Four, three-"

"Alright, alright." Gold pleaded.

"Hold your fire." Robin calmly said to his friend, "Well?"

"…What do you, Miss Swan?" he asked seeing that he didn't have a choice. Later, after gathering the others at the loft, Emma told them her intentions.

"You're going to Hell?" Snow asked her daughter in disbelief.

"The Underworld." Emma corrected.

"That's quite a distinction." David said bluntly.

"I'm getting him back." Emma said not up for debate, "It's not fair to Nicholas. Gold tricked us. Everything he gave up was based on a lie. He gave me the Stone for a reason. He's waiting for me down there to give it back."

"It does sound like something he would do." Regina nodded, "My brother always did plan ahead."

Just then, Zelena stormed into the loft looking beyond furious. "Where the hell is he?!" she asked, "Where's Nicholas? I want to pay him back for what he pulled last night."

"He already has, your wickedness." Hook spat harshly, "He's dead."

"What?" she asked not believing it at first. But when she saw their faces, she realized it was true, "N-no, he-he can't be. He's immortal."

"Was immortal." Regina corrected, "He sacrificed himself to save Emma and put his Stone in her."

"And you might as well do this now while she's here, Regina." Emma said as she handed her a dreamcatcher. With a wave of her hand, Regina returned her sister's lost memories from Camelot. When they were returned, Zelena remembered every moment Nicholas spent with her trying to connect and build a relationship with her; and that nearly brought her to tears when she realized that he was gone. A knock on the door then filled the loft as David opened it.

Now dressed in his League gear, Robin looked at them all with a look they had never seen on him before; hardened killing intent.

"Let's go." he said.

"I'm coming, too." Zelena informed surprising everyone.

"And why the hell would you think we'd let you come?" Regina hotly asked.

"Because he's my brother, too." she replied sincerely.

Back at the sight of where they lost their beloved alchemist, the heroes, minus Ariel who decided to stay behind to keep watch on the town, glared at Gold as he stood in front of the water with his dagger in his hand.

"Do it." Emma ordered.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Do it." she ordered threateningly.

No longer arguing, the Dark One cut his hand and let his blood open the portal to the Underworld once again. Leading them across the water to the ferry, Emma looked at the passage to the dead and spoke softly to herself.

"Nicholas, I will find you. I will always find you."

 **Bit of a twist, huh? Let me know what you all thought, I love the feedback and motivation you give me.**

 **Human Sacrifices**

 **1\. Emma Swan**

 **2\. Rumplestiltskin**

 **3\. Zelena**

 **4\. Maleficent**


	57. Souls of the Departed

**We've finally made it to the second half of season 5, everybody! You know what that means? After this saga, the Promised Day will be upon us!**

 **Thankfully, my work schedule is pretty flexible and I get a couple of days off every now and then so I will be able to get through this before I go back to school. I'm not sure when exactly I'll be done with this part of the show, but it shouldn't be too long.**

 **Also, thank you all for the reviews you leave me, I enjoy receiving them and look forward for more to come.**

 **One last thing before we get to the story, I made a "slight" tweak to the opening scene of how this episode. Unlike in the show, I didn't have Emma speak with Neal before waking up in the Underworld, not because I don't like him, even though I don't. No, this is just something that I've been imagining for a month or so, and I thought it'd be something worth actually including in this story.**

 **Let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, FMAB or Prince of Egypt. All rights go to their respective owners.**

As the ferry of the dead sailed to its destination, Emma Swan, the Savior slept as it slowly returned home. But as she dreamed, she didn't see anything but herself looking around in the darkness. But as she looked, she began to hear the subtle sound of a trumpet playing. As it did, she saw a single figure dressed in a long red hood covering his face with white gloves play the trumpet on a stone as something else came into view.

It was a red cross bearing a lifeless red snake with a crown riddled with dents on the ground surround feathers. Next thing she knew, she found herself in the middle of a desert filled with slaves, all of which, save one, had golden hair and eyes while one of the youngest had brown hair and eyes. As they did their backbreaking labor in the searing heat, the voices of the souls of the Philosopher's Stone sang.

 **Souls**

 _Mud!_

 _Sand!_

 _Water!_

 _Straw!_

 **Guard**

 _Faster!_

 **Souls**

 _Mud - and lift!_

 _Sand - and pull!_

 _Water - and raise up!_

 _Straw!_

 **Guard**

 _Faster!_

When the guard barked his order, he struck the brown haired slave's face which sent him to the hot sand as he dropped his heavy bag of straw. To get him on his feet, the guard struck him again.

 **Souls**

 _With the sting of the whip on my shoulder_

 _With the salt of my sweat on my brow_

 _Alchemist, Lord on high_

 _Can you hear your people cry?_

 _Help us now_

 _This dark hour!_

As the souls sang, Emma watched as the brown haired slave looked in horror as an older slave was whipped to death. In his anger, he dropped his bag and shoved the task master down the sand dune. Because of this, other taskmasters used their whips to grab his arms while the one he pushed came back and used his whip to strangle the boy before kicking him to the ground.

 **Souls**

 _Deliver us_

 _Hear our call, deliver us_

Not caring in the slightest, the taskmaster pulled out his knife ready to kill the child. But as fate would have it, the boy's owner arrived and stopped him. Instead, he ordered the guards to take the slave back to the city, which they did but not before knocking him out.

 **Souls**

 _Lord of all, remember us_

 _Here in this burning sand_

 _Deliver us_

 _There's a plan you promised us_

 _Deliver us to the Promised Day_

The scene then changed to when the slave regained consciousness and found himself strapped to a table over a transmutation circle while his master and all of his assistants running around preparing a procedure. Even the kingdom's ruler was there to witness it. As fear over took him, a priestess wearing violet robes and a silk face cover loomed over him and chanted as she marked his forehead.

 **Priestess**

 _Yal-di ha-tov veh ha-rach_

 _Al ti-ra veh al tif-chad_

 _My son, I have nothing I can give_

 _But this chance that you may live_

 _I pray we'll meet again_

 _If He will deliver us!_

When she was done, his master activated the circle and sent waves upon waves of pain through the slave's body. His body was surging with red lightning as his skin deconstructed and reconstructed. As it did, his master took a syringe to his arm and drew blood before emptying it into a flask. He then filled the room with blue lightning, and from the blood bubbling inside, a black speck with a large eye in the center blinked innocently at its surrounds.

And as the souls continued to sing, Emma covered her mouth in horror at the sight before her with tears in her eyes.

 **Souls**

 _Deliver us_

 _Hear our prayer_

 _Deliver us_

 _From despair_

 _These years of slavery grow_

 _Too cruel to stay_

 _Deliver us_

 _There's a plan you promised us_

 _Deliver us_

 _Out of bondage now_

 _Deliver us to the Promised Day!_

When the procedure was over and the black speck looked at the slave, the scene changed to the boy, a few years older waking up screaming in his bed in a cold sweat. He was beyond terrified at what he saw and couldn't stop himself from shaking or crying. Emma wanted to console the boy, but she knew she couldn't. And to make things worse, she saw someone that made everything she saw sink into heart even more. She saw a younger Regina burst through the door in her nightgown with a worried look as she rushed over to the boy.

It was then that everything clicked together. Emma realized that she just caught a glimpse of Nicholas' past as a slave. All she could do as the tears rolled down her face was watch as Regina tried to soothe her brother as he had his panic attack. In his fear, he couldn't recognize her at first. But when he did, he allowed her to wrap her arms around him and ease his pain.

With tears of her own brimming in her eyes at her beloved sibling's pain, Regina gently kissed his head before singing to him.

 **Young Regina**

 _Brother, you're safe now_

 _And safe may you stay_

 _For I make vow this for you_

 _Oh, little brother_

 _I swear this to you_

 _I won't let harm come to you_

The scene then faded away and Emma found herself back where she started. Only this time, the black space was shined with a bright red light coming from a large, red stone behind her. In addition to that, all around her were the souls that powered the stone now inside her. Those that weren't dressed in red were just red faces flying around her.

 **Souls**

 _Deliver us_

 _Send our shepherd to shepherd us_

 _And deliver us to the Promised Day_

From inside the stone, another soul wearing a red hood looked in her direction and approached the wall of it while pressing his hand on it. Emma walked up and did the same and when she did, she could see past the shadow over his face and saw Nicholas with a heartbroken expression.

 **Souls**

 _Deliver us to the Promised Day!_

Emma then suddenly awoke on the boat with her loved ones around her. When she looked around, she saw her parents at her side.

"Emma?" Snow asked, "Are you okay?"

"You passed out." David said.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she assured as she tried to push what she just saw out of her mind. But she found it hard with the numerous voices ringing through her head and giving her a headache.

"Good." Gold said at the bow of the boat, "Because we're here."

Once they got off the boat and made their way through the fog, they found themselves in Storybrooke. Only, this Storybrooke had a red sky and looked like it had a touch of "Mad Max" added to it. Everyone walking the streets looked miserable and seemed as though they had nothing to live for; which they didn't.

"I don't think we're in Maine anymore." Zelena remarked dryly as they walked past a broken version of the clock tower on the road.

"How is this possible?" Emma asked, "How does the Underworld look like Storybrooke?"

"Your questions are pointless." Gold snapped, "All that matters is, all these people in this Underworld are dead and trapped because they have unfinished business."

As he said this, an all too familiar white car sped across the road down the street. "Cruella." Emma said.

"That's right." Gold nodded, "And she's here because of you. And I imagine there are many here because of all of us. Let's not lollygag."

"Split up. We'll cover more ground." Emma ordered.

"Agreed." Regina nodded while looking at the souls, "The sooner we get out of here, the better."

Over at Granny's, or Ms. Ginger's as it was called in the Underworld, Snow took a look inside to find Nicholas, or at least someone who would know where he was. Over at the counter, she approached the Blind Witch; the one who tried to eat Hansel and Gretel.

"Is that…I know you." she said as she took in her scent, "Aren't you Snow White? Can you imagine? Uh, well, what can I get you? Do you like gingerbread or children? Kidding. But the-the gingerbread's actually not bad."

"I'm looking for a friend. He would have gotten here recently." Snow informed after ignoring the strange suggestion, "Uh, brown hair, smokes a pipe, has a really weird tattoo on his back."

"Nicholas Flamel." the witch gasped.

"You know him?" Snow asked.

"Not personally, but kinda hard to forget the little brother of the woman who killed me." she bluntly replied while smiling, "Though, I find it hard to believe that the _Immortal_ Alchemist is dead. Oh, I bet a lot of people are eager to take a crack at him if he is down here."

Just then, David walked through the door in different clothes and headed over to Snow. "David? You changed. What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine." he said looking at her intensely.

"Good, because I'm not. This place is creeping me out." she said before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"I see why my brother likes you." he smirked arrogantly after they separated.

"James." Snow realized as she shrugged him off.

"Indeed. So, Snow White's in town. I'm guessing that means my brother is, too. Alright. When you see ol' Dave, tell him there's a new sheriff in town." James said while the witch brought him a cup of coffee.

"Too bad it's not you, right, deputy?" she asked playfully.

"You know, if you weren't already dead, I'd kill you here and now, witch." James threatened with an annoyed smirk.

"And yet, here I am, and so are you." she giggled while handing him another coffee and bag, "Better hurry back, deputy. You know the sheriff hates it when you're late."

Scoffing at her, James let out the back with a huff right as David walked in and caught a glimpse of him. "Was that…my brother?" he asked his wife.

"Yeah." she replied embarrassed while Emma, Robin and Regina came in.

"Mom, Dad. You find anything?" Emma asked.

"Uh, there's no sign of him at the park or the town hall." David informed.

"This is hopeless." she sighed, "We don't even know if Nicholas is here. What if he has no unfinished business?"

"Oh, trust me, Emma. He has plenty of unfinished business left." Robin assured with a light chuckle as Henry came in.

"Hey, Mom. Any luck yet?" he asked.

"Not yet, kid. But we'll find him." she assured hugging him.

 **OUaT**

Many years ago in the Enchanted Forest, a younger Regina at the age of eighteen was doing her normal routine, her morning horseback riding lesson with the handsome stable boy Daniel. She wouldn't tell anyone, but was the only thing that made her happy since she was a little girl; since her brother Abba disappeared. It didn't quite fill the hole in her heart, but it did help distract her from the pain, the pain that the thoughts of that day always brought her.

She and her parents spent days looking for Abba after she lost sight of him. One moment, he was there toddling after her as they played, the next it was as if he just vanished. And when they couldn't find him, her little heart shattered; for roughly two weeks she cried herself to sleep when she laid in both her bed and her parents'.

Shaking those thoughts and memories out of her mind, Regina waited for Daniel to arrive with his horse while she saddled her own. As she did, she heard the sound of someone running up behind her. When she saw that it was Daniel, a happy smile grew on her face.

"You're late. I was about to start without you." she teased while he tried to catch his breath.

"Regina, wait," he panted.

"I was thinking we could head towards the pond today, the swans there look so beautiful, don't you think?" she asked, "I always wondered what it is that makes me like them so much."

"Regina…I have (pant) something important (pant) to tell you." Daniel wheezed, "Your mother told me-"

"If she told you to cancel our lesson today, forget it." Regina snapped, "I've already missed three other chances to ride to the pond and I am not missing out today."

"No, it's not that." he said, "It's-"

"What?" she asked.

"It's your brother." he said gaining her attention, "Your brother has come home. He's with your parents at the castle."

Regina looked like both her heart and the world had come to a complete stop when she heard those words come out of the man she loved's mouth. The next thing she knew, she was shoving past him and running as fast as she could to her home.

Inside the castle, Flamel was looking around with a confused look on his face. Ever since Rumplestiltskin transported him there, his parents, especially his mother, hadn't let him out of their sight or their embrace. Who could blame them, really? Their son was finally home after ten long years.

"I think…I remember this part of the castle." he said unsure of himself. Most of his past before he became a slave was a bit fuzzy, so not everything around him was causing overwhelming nostalgia.

"Yes." Cora chuckled feeling happier than she'd been in years, "You and your sister used to play together here while your father and I watched."

"…Gina, right?" he asked them, "My sister?"

"Regina, yes." Henry nodded happily, "Oh, she's going to be thrilled to see you after all this time."

"She will?" he asked nervously. He had been afraid that his family was going to reject him ever since he made up his mind to return home. Now that he was home, he was more scared than ever.

"Of course she will." Henry assured cupping his son's face, "Your sister loves you, son. She always has. She's missed you so very much."

"Do you think she could tell me my name, then?" Flamel asked, "Or should I just keep calling myself Nicholas Flamel?"

"Sweetheart, you can call yourself whatever you want." Cora assured.

"I think…I'll stick with 'Nicholas' for now." he replied hesitantly, "Just until I'm ready to know my real name."

"Of course." Henry nodded, "Whenever you're ready, you come and tell us."

"Thank you…F-Father." Flamel smiled with a tear forming in his eye. Just then, Regina came bursting through the door covered with sweat. As she caught her breath, Henry hurried over to her and briefly told her what she needed to know.

Flamel looked at her curiously as she came over to him with tears in her eyes. At first, he couldn't recognize her given what ten years had done to her. But she was able to recognize him instantly when she saw his eyes; the same chocolate-brown eyes that she fell in love with the first time they looked at her when he was a baby.

"Gina." he realized when he made the connection. Regina choked back a sob and flung her arms around her little brother.

"You're home." she whispered.

 **OUaT**

After sharing what they all found out, or what they didn't given the lack of luck, they went their separate ways again to search for Nicholas. Outside on main street, Regina and Robin marveled at the alternate version of their home.

"It's uncanny." Robin awed, "It's so similar, yet so…off."

"Well, when I conjured Storybrooke, it was with the Dark Curse." Regina explained, "Whoever created that curse, looks like this is where they got their inspiration."

"Or vice versa." he offered as they passed a soul Regina spotted earlier.

"You." she said coming to a stop and facing him, "You've been following us. Why?"

"Someone wants to see you." he said, and Regina knew all to well who he meant. After being escourted to town hall alone, she entered the office and saw Cora dressed in a pantsuit like what she wore when she died.

"Mother. You're here." Regina said not believing her eyes.

"Yes." Cora said softly at the sight of her precious daughter.

"I had hoped you were okay." she admitted.

"I know, darling." Cora nodded before they finally hugged each other tightly, "I know. But I do have unfinished business. And that would be you and your siblings."

"I'm sorry I couldn't save him." Regina said in guilt as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"He made his choice, there wasn't anything you could've done to stop him; he gets his stubbornness from me." she chuckled sadly, "All I've ever wanted was for you both to be happy."

"Then help me find him so we can get out of here." Regina pleaded.

"I can't." Cora replied, "I don't know where he is. Besides…it may be in his best interests if you leave her without your brother."

"Mother?" she asked.

"After everything he's been through, why not leave him be and let his soul be at peace for once in his life?" Cora asked, "It wasn't easy, but I've arranged for a boat to take you home. It departs in one hour. Take Henry, take your sister and your thief and go before it's too late."

"Mother," Regina cut off, "I can't. I'm not leaving without Abba."

"You must." Cora stressed, "I know it's hard to put aside all suspicion after how I raised you, but, Regina, do you remember the last thing I said to you and your brother before I died?"

"That we would have been enough." she nodded at the painful memory.

"You would have been. It just took me too long to realize it. Don't make the same mistake. Go." Cora warned.

"What would happen if I stayed?" Regina asked.

"Sometimes a mother has to do what's best for her children, even if it's reprehensible."

"Are you threatening me?" she asked.

"Oh, no. No, of course not. Never. But there's something I have to show you." Cora said as she poofed not only the two of them, but the soul watching them as well away.

Next thing they knew, they were the Underworld's version of where Maleficent was once held as a dragon underground. Only this version had half of a stone bridge looming over a pit of flames. On one end, Cora and Regina stood by the ledge while the innocent soul was at the end looking down at the fire.

"Mother, where are we?" Regina asked as Cora raised her hand to use magic, "What are you doing?"

"Showing you your fate if you don't return to Storybrooke." she replied as she made the flames engulf the poor man and drag him into the pit as he screamed.

"You-you killed him." Regina gasped.

"Killed is, um, a relative term down here." Cora corrected, "This Underworld, most can only leave it in two ways, to a better place or a worse one. But you, my sweet daughter, have another option. However, not for long. Go home, or there will be a cost. Someone will suffer."

Before she could ask, Regina watched as her mother waved her hand and sent her back to the streets in front of Ms. Ginger's. After going inside and telling everyone what happened, they looked even more worried than before.

"Someone will suffer?" Snow asked, "You don't think she meant Nicholas, do you?"

"No, we don't need to worry about that." Regina assured, "If you think I was smothered by her, puh! You should've seen how she suffocated Nicholas before _and_ after he became a slave. He'd have been a total momma's boy if she had raised him like she did me."

"So, what now?" Zelena asked, "If she doesn't know where to find him, how are we supposed to find Nicholas with less than an hour?"

"Perhaps I can provide the answer to that question." Gold informed as he joined them with a small vial in his hand.

"What the hell is that?" Robin asked.

"This is the way to find your not-so-immortal alchemist. The Ale of Seonaidh from the land of DunBroch." he replied.

"That's a mouthful." Regina quipped.

"It lets you communicate with the dead." he continued, "Pour this over Flamel's grave, and we can stop guessing where he is and simply ask him."

"You're saying Nicholas has a grave here in the Underworld?" David asked.

"Everyone down here has a grave." Gold clarified, "You'll find the cemetery right where you remember it."

"Well, if this works, we could find Nicholas before the boat leave. We could all get out of here together." Snow realized.

"A fine idea." Gold agreed, "I suggest you all get moving."

"No way." Emma shot down, "You're coming with us."

"You can do this part on your own. There's boat that's leaving soon. You want to find Flamel? Fine. But I have no interest in exploring this world further. You can meet me there. But that's entirely up to you." he said as he left.

"Emma," Snow interjected when her daughter was about to stop him, "There's no time to argue. If there's even a chance that will work, we have to risk it."

"Alright." she relented, "Let's do this."

After searching for roughly ten minutes, Zelena found her brother's grave and brought the others to it. As they stood before the gravestone, Emma clutched the ale in her hands in worry.

"You okay?" Snow asked.

"I just hope he is." she replied as she sprinkled the ale over the grave. A few seconds passed and Nicholas flickered before them, looking in even worse condition than when he died. Regina turned Henry away so as not for him to see his uncle looking the way he did. Even Zelena gasped in horror at her brother's appearance.

"Nicholas." Emma said, "Nicholas, we're here to help you. We just can't find you. Where are you?"

But the alchemist couldn't answer. It seemed as though he couldn't even see or hear her. All he did was flicker before them as his face contorted in pain.

"Emma," Regina said feeling sorry for her friend and brother, "The spell's not steady. He can't hear you."

"Just tell us where you are." Emma pleaded as Nicholas continued to blur.

"Something's happening." Robin said.

"It's not holding." Regina replied.

"Just talk to us." Emma pleaded as the voices in her head began to cry out for Nicholas, "Talk to me."

But Nicholas never got the chance. His soul, or what was left of it, was pulled down into the ground as he cried out in agony. "Nicholas!" she cried before clutching her head.

" _You lied to him!"_ the voices screamed.

" _You failed him!"_ a female voice accused.

" _It should have been you, not him!"_ a boy's voice said hotly.

"Emma?!" Snow said loudly gaining her daughter's attention.

"He doesn't know we came for him." Emma said trying to ignore the voices, "He doesn't know we're here. He doesn't know that I care."

"Yes, he does." Snow argued, "And, Emma, we will find him."

"Will we?" she asked, "Did you not just see that? He's in pain. He's suffering. Look at this place. We have half an hour. We have half an hour. Cora has a boat coming. You have to take it, or we might all be stuck here."

"If she can arrange a way out, so can we after we find Nicholas." David argued, "We are not giving up on you."

"How are we supposed to find him?!" Emma all but yelled, "We have no idea where he might be, no one does!"

The others saw her point, none of them had any clue as to where Nicholas might be and they were running out of time to search. And despite being the only one amongst their group that had been down to the Underworld before, Rumplestiltskin was proving to be useless to them. As the others thought of another way, Robin caught a glimpse of a grave that gained his attention. It wasn't the grave itself that caught his eye, no, it was the name inscribed on it that did it.

"I think," he said loud enough for the others to hear, "I think I may know of someone who can help."

On the other side of town, in the sheriff's station, a man sat in the sheriff's office with his feet propped on the desk with a cup of coffee in his hand and a longsword laying on the desk. He had a mop of red hair that reached his neck, a scruffy beard around just his mouth and chin, and wore a magenta button down shirt under a black vest with black jeans and a leather jacket. Seeing as James was nowhere in sight, Robin took the chance to approach the Underworld's sheriff.

"Good evening, sheriff." he greeted curtly.

"You know, few people ever come to this place. I don't really see the point in there being a sheriff down here on account of us all being dead." the sheriff dryly chuckled before glancing up at the archer, "So why has one of the living visitors decided to pay me a visit?"

"Oh, I'm sure you've heard by now why we're here." Robin replied in the tone of voice he saved only for League business, "We are looking for the Immortal Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel."

"…You know Flamel?" he asked now intrigued, "How?"

To give his answer, Robin took out his own LXG coin and flipped it into the sheriff's hand. When the man caught it, his eye's widened as though he had seen it before.

"Where did you get this?" he asked softly.

"Like Flamel, I am an agent of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." Robin informed, "Not only was his death wrongfully taken advantage of by the Dark One, the fate of all the living realms rests on his shoulders. Because of that, he must be returned to the land of the living. Do you know where he is?"

"…Can't say that I do." he replied tossing the coin back.

"If you are lying to me, I will-"

"What?" he cut off rising to his feet, "What could _you_ possibly do to me? In case you have forgotten, I am already dead. And I have had enough of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

"Is that why you won't help?" Robin asked as the sheriff stormed out of his office, "Because you blame Flamel for your death?"

"Blame him?" he asked feeling insulted, "I gave my life to save the lives of my friends; including his! I do not blame the Immortal Alchemist for what befell me, I made the choice to fight even if it meant death. If you believe me to be so petty as to blame another man for something he had no say in, then you do not know me at all, _Leagues man_. I said I do not know where he is, and I meant it."

"Then who would?" Robin asked, "I find it hard to believe that no one in this literal hell-hole has no idea where he is. So I will ask you again, who the bloody hell knows where Nicholas Flamel is?!"

"You're a part of that organization, you figure it out!" he retorted. It took a moment, but realization dawned on Robin's face before it hardened.

"I see." he muttered, "In that case, things will prove to be more difficult than I thought. Thank you for your time, sheriff. You've been most helpful."

"I want in." he announced as Robin was about to leave.

"What?" he asked facing the departed man.

"I wish to help you find Nicholas; if you'll have me." he said.

"Why?" Robin asked.

"Last time I worked together with Nicholas, I wasn't able to see our quest through to the end. I wish to make amends for that and help him now."

"Very well." Robin nodded, "We'd be more than happy to receive help. All I ask is that you not mention anything to the others about the League. They haven't been informed yet, and now is certainly not the time."

"Of course." the sheriff nodded as he grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt, "Lead on."

By the time the two men joined up with the others in front of the library, night had fallen and the boat leading back to the surface was long gone. When they returned, Regina rushed up to hug her soulmate tenderly.

"I take that our way out is gone?" Robin asked knowing the answer.

"Yeah." Emma nodded, "But we'll find another way. Who's this?"

"Someone who has offered to help us find Nicholas." he replied, "Everyone, this is the Underworld's sheriff and an old friend of Nicholas'."

"Pleased to meet you. I am Boromir, son of Denethor and Steward of Gondor." he introduced with a respectful nod.

"Didn't see that coming." David muttered to his wife.

"Great." Emma nodded, "We'll need all the help we can get."

After they headed over to the alternate version of the loft, Cora came out from behind the clock tower and watched them leave. Afterwards, she walked into the library and entered the elevator. After a long, fast drop, she reached her destination with a fearful look on her face.

Walking through the mines, she could hear the sound of soft, classical music echo through the cave. Coming to its source, she found a man dressed in a suit surrounded by trinkets while a grotesque, bloody creature served him wine while a peasant girl in rags gave him a pedicure.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Cora?" the man asked in a gentle tone as the music soothed him.

"Um," she stuttered, "The sheriff has tu-turned to the intruders' side. He-he is helping them search for-"

"For your son." the man finished, "Yes, I know. Thanks to your incompetence. As I expected from a miller's daughter."

"Why do you want my daughters gone?" Cora asked, "What threat could they pose to you?"

"Ah," he said in a calm, yet clearly angry tone, "You see, they have come here to take the soul of their brother. Whose soul belongs to my domain now. You see where I'm going with this? Do I look like a man who likes to lose?"

"I did what you asked. Now I want what I was promised. Tell me where my son is." Cora demanded even though she was afraid.

"Ah. Really, Cora. I'm surprised you care so much about Abba, especially after having lost him to slave traders and, of course, what you did to your other daughter."

"How do you know those things?" she asked.

"Oh, I know about everything. Including why you have Zelena up. All so you could claw your way out of a miserable peasant life. Which is ironic considering what your actions led to the life your son had to live."

"No. No, no, that-that was an accident." Cora defended, "He-he fell, he-"

"Enough." he interrupted, "I don't want to hear your excuses. And I have just thought of the perfect punishment for you."

Flicking his wine glass, he made Cora change out of her pantsuit and into the very same rags she once wore when she was a poor, powerless miller's daughter.

"Look at that." he chuckled, "A miller's daughter once again. Hurry now, Cora. You have flour to deliver. That's what they do at mills, isn't it? I never paid much attention. It seems like such dull work."

"No." Cora denied looking utterly miserable, "No, you promised you'd save us."

"And you promised not to fail. Something to think about for eternity." he chuckled. As Cora sobbed and hauled her cart away, he chuckled at her misery and did something unexpected. His skin turned a sickly, pale gray while his hair erupted into blue fire. This was more than enough to reveal who he was.

He was Hades, god of death and lord of the Underworld.

 **What'd you think of the song? Ever since the musical episode, I've been trying to come up with the right song for Nicholas so that I might give him one of his own. That one you just read/probably listened to isn't it. That's just something that I thought fit well with Nicholas' character since I made him a slave like Hoenhiem.**

 **I'll try to get the next one out as soon as possible, but until then stay tuned! And please, do let me know what you thought of this chapter, it helps motivate me. And if you have any ideas, tell me. I love it when readers make suggestions and want to become involved with stories they read; it also helps me connect with you and I know how to improve this for you.**

 **Until next time!**


	58. The Search

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **Enjoy.**

At the red lit loft, the rescue party went over possible ways to find Nicholas with the help of "Underbrooke's" sheriff. But despite how useful he was proving to be, some of them who knew his story, or at least thought they did, were wary of him helping them.

"So where exactly have you already searched for Flamel?" Boromir asked as they peered at the map he brought them from the station.

"Everywhere we could think of." David scoffed, "We checked all over town and asked everyone who had a similar job to what our friends' have up top."

"There's no point in asking them." Boromir dejected, "Even if they did know, they wouldn't tell you. They are too afraid of him."

"Him who?" Regina asked while Zelena shifted slightly.

"Wait, you don't know?" he asked them all, "You're in the Underworld, it's obvious who's in charge down here. Hades, of course."

"Hades?" Henry asked, "You mean the god of death?"

"Is there another Hades I don't know about?" he asked, "But, yes, that Hades. And after spending decades down here, I know for a fact that he is unhappy with all of you for coming here."

"Well, if you've been here for so long, where might you think he's keeping Nicholas?" Hook asked.

"Believe it or not, but Hades actually enjoys handling punishment for souls. My guess is that since Flamel has cheated death for so long, something Hades cannot stand by the way, he's most likely being kept down below where Hades keeps the eternal punishments." Boromir replied.

"Can we get there?" Emma asked as her head continued to pound from the voices.

"I don't believe anyone has ever asked that before." the sheriff muttered to himself, "But, yes, we can. Unfortunately, the underground tunnels beneath the town are like a labyrinth; and Hades keeps them well guarded with his dark minions."

"Nothing we can't handle." Robin argued.

"Tread carefully," Boromir warned, "Foolhardiness has proven fatal in more ways than one down here. All planning aside, it's obvious that Hades will be keeping an eye on us no matter where it is we go; be it his own or the eyes of the souls reporting to him."

"So, discretion is actually pointless then?" Hook asked bluntly.

"I think we threw discretion out the bloody window yesterday when we asked everyone in sight if they had seen Nicholas." Zelena flatly commented, "Where would the best entrance be for us to start searching?"

"There are the mine tunnels on the outskirts of town in the woods." Boromir replied, "They are unguarded, and if we are discovered, we would have plenty of room to make our escape, if need be. In fact, all of the entrances in town lead directly to Hades himself."

"We'll head over to the toll bridge and start looking there." Snow said as she grabbed her bow and quiver with Regina grabbing her coat to indicate she'd be joining. As everyone was talking, Emma did her best to ignore the pain and screaming voices in her head.

"I shall accompany you." Boromir offered, "If we should intercept the lord of the dead, I wish to personally inform him of my resignation as sheriff."

"Okay, Hook, Robin and I will keep looking around town for any other leads." David added, "We might get lucky and find something."

"While you're doing that, stop by Nicholas' house. If it's anything like the loft, it may have some of his things down here. We may even be able to use a locator spell on them." Regina suggested.

Unfortunately for Emma, the voices were making it difficult for her to follow along with everyone's planning. Sweat began to bead on her forehead as her frustration grew, the only one who noticed this was Henry.

"I can check the vault to see if Cora has anything we can use." Zelena offered.

"You?" Regina scoffed, "In a place full of our mother's magic by yourself? I don't think so."

" _This is your fault. You're to blame._ " the voices chanted in Emma's head.

" _We'd be better off in anyone else instead of you._ "

" _Leave her alone! She had no say in this. It was Flamel's idea!_ " one of the souls defended which only caused more yelling.

"When are you going to get it through your thick head that I'm actually trying to help?" Zelena asked, "I didn't have to come down here with you."

"Are you two seriously going to do this now?" Hook asked, "You'd think the fate of your brother's soul would be enough reason to put this squabble on hold."

"No one asked for your input, _Guy-Liner_." Regina retorted.

" _Let me take control!_ " a voice demanded, _"We'll never get anywhere with this one running things._ "

" _Flamel gave her the Stone and it's her body!_ " a woman's voice defended, _"That alone is reason enough for her to stay in control._ "

" _Oh, and I suppose we should just sit back and let the girl waste our time acting like a headless chicken, then?_ "

" _Keep talking like that, Andal, and you'll find yourself dealing with us!_ "

"Be quiet." Emma growled softly.

"Mom?" Henry asked in concern.

" _Ooh, is that a threat, Sergence?_ " the voice asked, " _Should I be afraid of you? Are you going to kill me? Oh, wait. You can't!_ "

"I said, be quiet." Emma said softly to herself.

" _Who are you to order us?!_ " another voice shouted at her, " _We do not answer to you!_ "

"If all you plan to do is argue amongst yourselves, then I fear for what might become of Flamel." Boromir judged as he crossed his arms.

"Keep your concerns to yourself." Zelena said rudely.

"You really think it's a good idea to act like that to the guy who's trying to help us instead of turning us over to Hades?" David asked the witch.

"This is escalating quickly." Robin sighed as they all started arguing.

Having enough of the arguing in her head and in the room, Emma finally let out her frustration and slammed her hands on the table before shouting to everyone that could hear her; inside and outside her mind.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled causing everybody to stop and look at her, "Shut up! Shut up! All of you, shut the hell up!"

Everyone looked at her in surprise. Never before had any of them see Emma get so angry like that. Firing her gun to gain their attention? Yes. Jumping into a raging sea to make them stop fighting? Yes. Actually yelling at all of them at the top of her lungs? Not once. If it hadn't been for the red sky making the entire room reddish, they would have been able to see her bloodshot eyes as they glared daggers at them all. Thankfully, the voices of the souls also quieted down after she yelled at them.

"Go!" Emma ordered pointing to the door, "Now!"

They did so without another word and went their separate ways to do what they said they would before the arguing started. Out in the woods, Boromir lead Emma, Snow and Regina to the underground passage by the toll bridge. As they trudged through the mud and branches, Snow finally broke the awkward silence that had been hanging in the air since the loft.

"You think we can trust this guy?" she asked gesturing to Boromir up ahead.

"Robin said he's a friend of Nicholas'. And he's the only one in town who's offered to help. What more do we need?" Emma asked stiffly.

"Well, given what he did before he died," Snow carried.

"Easy there, pixie cut." Regina cut in, "If there's anything we've learned since the curse, it's that none of the book/movie versions of our stories are entirely accurate. Our departed friend here may not be as guilty as those movies make him out to be."

 _"_ _Puh!"_ a child's voice scoffed in Emma's mind causing her to wince, _"That's for sure!"_

"I said, be quiet!" Emma hissed.

"You hear them, don't you?" Regina finally asked Emma.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Emma lied stiffly.

"Yes, you do." she snapped with a glare.

"Hear what?" Snow asked in confusion.

"Emma's realizing exactly what Nicholas has had to go through for nearly half a century now." Regina informed, "She can hear the voices of the souls powering the Philosopher's Stone."

"You can?" Snow asked in concern, "But I thought Nicholas said they stopped years ago."

"Yeah, well, coming down here must've woken them up." Emma replied flatly, "And they haven't shut up since. Ugh, they're worse than the Dark Ones."

"What do you expect?" Regina asked, "Last time you had, what, two dozen souls in your head? Give or take? Now you've got over half a million."

"What are they saying?" Snow asked.

"More like, what aren't they saying?" Emma scoffed, "A bunch of them are blaming me for what happened to Nicholas, others are defending me, some are talking about taking control or something, and the rest are just talking to each other about who knows what."

"We're here." Boromir announced as they reached the cave. After entering the dark and red tunnel, the party kept their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of Nicholas or trouble; normally, they wouldn't be able to find one without the other. Unfortunately for them, Hades emerged from the shadows and stop them in their tracks.

"I'm disappointed in you, sheriff." he said in an unreadable tone, "You shouldn't have done this."

"Don't expect an apology." Boromir remarked with his sword drawn.

"Hades." Regina realized. If anyone had asked, she and the other two women would've said they expected the deity to look a bit different than what stood before them.

"Don't look so surprised. Who'd you think was in charge of this place; your mommy?" he asked.

"Well, if this is your realm, maybe you can answer a few questions. Like where is my brother, and why does this hell-hole look like Storybrooke?" Regina hotly demanded.

"I have my reasons for the town, and I don't need to share them with you." Hades replied, "And as for your brother, I, personally, am giving him my own undivided attention. For your sake, you'd best hope I don't do the same to you."

"We're not afraid of you." Snow said standing her ground.

"Oh. Snow White." Hades gasped in false surprise, "Or is it Mary Margaret? You should be quite afraid of me because if you continue to interfere with my domain, I will come after you and everyone you hold dear."

"Bring it." Emma dared, "We're not gonna rest until we find Nicholas."

"Oh, and that must make you Emma." the god chuckled, "Since your alchemist likes to send you messages, I told him I would deliver this one personally."

Using his godly powers, Hades made something appear in his hand as he displayed it to them. With blood splattered here and there, he showed them the cut out skin from Nicholas' back that was covered by his tattoo.

"What did you do to him?" Emma softly asked in horror while the others glared at him in anger.

"It's not what I've already done you should worry about. No. It's what I'm about to do." he smiled as he dropped the skin and vanished in a vortex of blue fire.

When he returned to his throne room, Hades strode over to his chair with a glass of wine as red as blood appearing in his hand. Mulling over his thoughts, and past the sounds of screaming in the air, an idea popped into the mind of the Underworld's ruler as he stared at the red liquid; a very dark idea.

At the loft, Emma was pacing back and forth with worry after Regina poofed the four of them back. Seeing her true love's carved skin was more than enough to shake her up. If Regina hadn't been so furious at Hades for what he had done and was doing to her little brother, she'd be doing the same.

"I never should have let him take on Nimue with me." Emma said blaming herself, "I shouldn't have let him take Excalibur and give me the Stone. It should've been me that died, not him."

"Hey," Snow soothed as she hugged her daughter and rubbed her back, "Don't listen to those voices. This is not your fault. Nicholas is not suffering because of you."

"Your mother's right." Regina agreed no less angry, "If anything, it's all Rumple's fault. He started all this."

"As much as finding someone to blame might help you ladies feel better, it won't get us anywhere." Boromir gently reminded, "I fear that Nicholas may be receiving worse punishment now that we have angered Hades."

"What are we gonna do now?" Emma asked.

"I don't know." he sighed as the others came back.

"Any luck?" David asked.

"Uh, poor timing, my friend." Boromir muttered awkwardly, "Was anyone successful in their tasks?"

"Grandma Cora locked up her vault pretty tight." Henry informed, "Me and Zelena couldn't get in."

"And as per usual, no one else offered their help to us. Were you able to find…" Robin sighed before spotting the piece of skin sticking out if Boromir's satchel, "Oh. I see."

"He's toying with us, isn't he?" Hook asked, "Hades?"

"What gave you that impression?" Zelena asked rolling her eyes, "Did you find anything at Nicholas' house?"

"Just some burnt books, some broken lab equipment, a couple of whips, and…and a cage." David sighed past the lump in his throat.

"Wait." Emma said as her eyes widened, "I have something that belonged to him."

"You do?" Regina asked. Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out Nicholas' coin.

"Where did you get that?" Robin asked.

"He-he gave it to me back in Camelot." she replied finding it odd that he asked her that.

"Oh, yes." Regina whispered as she examined the coin, "This will do perfectly. We can use this to find Nicholas. Care to do the honors, Ms. Swan?"

In an attempt to cast a locator spell on the object, Emma waved her hand over it only to see and feel nothing happen. She tried again, but still nothing happened. "Why won't it work?" she asked.

"Because you don't have magic anymore, Emma." Robin replied, "You have the Philosopher's Stone inside you, remember? It's impossible for you to use magic now that alchemy is flowing inside you. Watch."

It wasn't anything gruesome like what Nicholas probably would've done, but Robin merely scratched her arm to show her and everyone else that it healed exactly like Nicholas' wounds did.

"My guess is that until we find Nicholas and return the Stone to him, you won't be able to perform magic." he concluded.

"How do you know all this?" Zelena asked, "You seem to know more than what you're letting on."

"As much as it sickens me," Regina remarked, "Zelena's right. You've been keeping secrets from us, Robin. Just like…like Nicholas. When we were in Camelot, you…you two were going to kill Arthur. You-you looked like you were enjoying it."

"And you blackmailed Gold into helping us. You threatened to kill Belle if he didn't." Emma remembered, "Who was pointing that gun at her, Robin? What aren't you telling us?"

Everyone, aside from Boromir, stared intently at Robin who gritted his teeth and sighed. He then looked at them all with a cold look and flatly said, "I don't have to tell any of you a goddamn thing."

Needless to say, that was more than enough to surprise them all. Normally, Robin was a polite gentleman that rarely cursed around them and had a friendly disposition. But now he was coming off as a cold and distant stranger.

"Now is not the time to be asking these questions." he spat, "We came down to this hell-hole for one reason, and one reason alone; find Nicholas, give him the Stone and get back to Storybrooke. If you want answers, wait until we are bloody done with this place and ask him yourself because he and I are sharing the same secrets. But at the rate we're going, it won't matter because everything we've been working for will fall apart."

Back in the throne room, Hades unchained the hideous creature that had been serving him his wine with a wicked grin. The beast wore tattered brown robes riddled with holes and blood stains and looked as though it had no skin. It's hairless head and visible arms were red as blood and had blood streaming from its entire body. Several teeth were missing from its jaw and it had only one working eye. In fact, it was so damaged, it couldn't even speak; all it could do was groan, wheeze and cough up blood.

"You see her?" Hades asked it as he showed it Emma in a small crystal ball. The monster nodded, "Go get her. Happy hunting." he smirked as he pushed it forward. And thus, it creature began its slow and painful walk up to the surface leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind.

Looking happy at the suffering he was causing, the lord of the Underworld's head ignited in blue fire once again as he smiled devilishly in his throne.


	59. Sudden Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or LoTR.**

 **Enjoy!**

After Robin's outburst, the others got over their shock what he said and tried to put their focus back on finding Nicholas. Since Emma could no longer use magic, Regina decided to cast the spell on her brother's coin. As soon as she did, it zipped out of her hand and under the front door leading outside. Chasing after it, they all searched for it in the streets, but it was nowhere in sight.

"Where the bloody hell did it go?" Hook asked hotly.

"You think it's another one of Hades' tricks?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," Snow said as she drew an arrow, "Maybe we should ask him."

Looking where she was aiming, they all shuddered at the sight of the limping, bloody creature Hades sent after them. With its one "good" eye, it glared at them and grunted in pain as it slowly tried to get to them.

"What the hell is that hideous thing?" Zelena asked. Without a warning, Snow shot it in the chest and watched as it fell to the ground.

"I don't think we want to stick around and find out." she said as it growled at them. When it rose to its feet, it continued to trudge towards them, but Regina and Zelena knocked it back with their red and green fireballs.

This was more than enough to give them time while the ghoul moaned in pain on the ground. They tried to take their leave from the beast, but the moment they turned around, they saw it limping towards them once again. Fear began to take root in them, just slightly, and because of this, Boromir took his sword and skewered the bleeding carcass. But it appeared behind Henry the moment it fell to the ground.

"Henry, look out!" Emma shouted. It was then that her hands turned to claws and extended to impale the ghoul behind her son.

"That was unexpected." Hook remarked as her fingers turned back to normal.

This time, the creature didn't appear behind somebody after collapsing to the ground. Instead, it laid there soaking the ground with its blood with its soft pain filled moans emitting from its shredded throat. Despite its hideous appearance, some of the heroes felt sorry for what laid before them; especially when it tried to crawl towards them with its hand reaching out for something in desperation. For whatever reason Hades released it, it wanted to complete its task and get its hands on Emma Swan.

"Enough of this." Regina spat before sending it flying with a blast of magic, "Looks like Hades is running out of ideas."

"What was that thing?" Robin asked Boromir.

"I do not know." he replied just as confused, "I have never seen such a foul creature in all my years here. Perhaps Hades was testing our strength?"

"Then why would he send such a weak thing?" Hook asked, "Why not send one of his furies, or some other hell-beast?"

"I don't know." Zelena said staring in the direction where her sister had tossed it away, "But I don't think that'll be the last we see of it."

"Maybe there's something on it in the library." Henry suggested.

"The boy might be on to something." Boromir nodded, "If we can't find information on the beast, perhaps we can acquire knowledge on how to defeat Hades, or at least find Flamel."

"Anyone else feel like we should've done that yesterday?" Zelena dryly asked as they headed to the library. As their luck was to be expected, they found nothing remotely close to information on Hades, or even the blood soaked specter either. While they effortlessly searched, the former sheriff's mind wondered to his past when he was alive.

 **OUaT**

Many years ago, in the kingdom of Gondor in the land of Middle Earth, a younger Boromir looked to the blackened distance from the cliff holding his beloved city to the ragged peaks of Mordor. His hair flowed freely in the breeze as he glared at the bane of his realm. All his life he had looked at the black land's borders with ill contempt. For too long the wretched orcs of Mordor had taken the lives of his fellow man and brethren of Gondor in the never ending cycle of battle and death. His father, the kingdom's steward Denethor may have been Gondor's ruler, but Boromir was no fool; he knew his father was no king, and definitely not fit to lead his people.

It had left a sour taste in not only his mouth and the mouth of his father's, but all those who came before them and ruled in place of the royal family since the death of Isildur being a kingdom's ruler but not it's monarch. Seeing the barren white tree in the courtyard everyday was but another reminder of this and the shell the white city of Minas Tirith had become over the past two ages. But his thoughts were not focused on that. No, his mind was focused on the danger the orcs were imposing on the fallen city of Osgiliath and the rest of Gondor.

"Boromir!" another man's voice called from behind. The future steward turned around and saw his younger brother Faramir rush up to him.

"What is it, brother?" he asked.

"It's Osgiliath," he panted, "Th-the orcs, they've completely taken over the city. Our forces have been over run. Minas Tirith will be next."

"Has father prepared reinforcements yet?" Boromir asked.

"I would imagine he will speak with you on this matter presently." Faramir replied looking uncomfortable at the thought of their father, "What men we have left amongst the ruins are either too wounded or too shaken to go on against Mordor's forces."

"I will speak with father. We shall discuss our counter attack and make our way to Osgiliath."

"Forgive me, brother." Faramir begged as his sibling headed to the hall of kings.

"Whatever for?" Boromir asked in concern.

"Osgiliath was my charge. And I let it fall to the putrid hands of those orcs. I failed Gondor and her people." Faramir said belittling himself, "I am unfit to be captain of the guard."

"These are father's words, not your own." Boromir lectured as he placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, "Do not let his judgement cloud and pollute your own. Not every battle can be won, little brother. We are sons of Gondor and while we may lose one or two battles, we will never surrender and we shall never allow the forces of Mordor to defeat us. Not while we may still draw breath and our swords. We will take back Osgiliath, brother. I swear. The hearts of men do not falter so easily; especially not men of Gondor."

With his confidence restored, Faramir smirked and nodded at his brother as he patted him on the back. True, he knew that the up and coming battle would be long and hard, but with his brother's aid, Faramir knew in his heart that victory would be achieved no matter how much blood would be spilt.

 **OUaT**

"This is pointless!" Zelena exclaimed slamming her book shut.

"Love, calm down." Hook sighed.

"How could I possibly calm down?!" she snarled, "All we accomplished since coming to this damn place was asking questions with no answers, wonder around town and receive the help of a dead man. Meanwhile, my brother is, literally, being tortured by hell's minions as we stand here with our noses in a pile of books!"

" _Our_ brother." Regina corrected, "And if you have any other suggestions, please, by all means, share them with us, sister dear. Wow, now I know what Nicholas feels every time he calls me that."

" _Take the fight to Hades!_ " the voices chorused in Emma's head.

"Yeah, and we'd be killed in the process and be stuck down here for good." Emma muttered as she flipped through the pages.

"Not sure what it is those voices are saying, but it doesn't sound like good advice." Robin remarked to the blonde.

" _Not surprising,_ " the voice of Sergence snorted, " _Andal isn't exactly the brightest amongst us._ "

" _Be silent, carpenter!_ " Andal hissed.

"Both of you be quiet." Emma snapped earning looks from the others, "Uh, not you guys. Sorry. It's the voices again."

"Maybe Zelena's right." Snow admitted.

"Come again from the woman whose baby I stole?" Zelena asked.

"Mom?" Emma asked.

"Well, think about it," she began to explain, "Reading about Hades and his weaknesses is good and all, but we won't get anywhere if we don't do anything. I mean, when has anything involved with Nicholas ever not needed action?"

"What do you propose?" Boromir asked.

"Whatever that thing we saw earlier, whatever Hades sent at us, it may provide some answers." she hypothesized.

"What I don't understand is why he sent it in the first place." Robin mused.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"Think about it," he said, "The thing was covered in scars, could barely move, looked like it had been through hell, and couldn't even move without looking as though it was in pain. Not to mention, it wasn't even remotely close to getting its hands on us. What's the point in sending something so weak?"

"Who can say." Boromir shrugged, "All I know is that Hades doesn't do anything without a reason, and that reason, more often than not, involves someone else's suffering."

"I bet Nicholas would know." Emma sighed, "I'm beginning to miss his brain, too."

"Well, since we lost his coin, we have nothing else to track him with." Regina sighed raking her hand through her hair, "This is just becoming more and more difficult by the minute."

"It's certainly not the most difficult thing I ever dealt with." Boromir thought.

 **OUaT**

If either of the steward's sons had only ever been to the city of Osgiliath once in their lives, they would never had been able to recognize it after being reduced to rubble and ruins from the relentless and merciless attacks caused by the orcs. With what few men they could gather in Minas Tirith, the two brothers journeyed to their destination to regroup with Faramir's remaining forces for their counter strike. After maneuvering past debris and the festering corpses of orcs and men alike, they joined with the small battalion by the river.

"My lords Boromir and Faramir." one of the soldiers greeted somberly, "You have returned."

"With able men eager for battle." Boromir laughed as they clasped arms, "What news do you have for us? How fairs our forces?"

"We've managed to keep the orcs at bay for now. However, I'm afraid with each attempt we lose more men and the enemy gradually advances on us."

"The orcs are led by the war chief Balgruth," Faramir added as they conversed by a map of the city, "He's not your average orc filth. He's cunning, ruthless and, surprisingly, smart. He knows how to lead his troops."

"Where has he made camp?" Boromir asked.

"Like I said, he's smart." Faramir sighed as he pointed to the map, "He never stays in the same place for more than a day. Just as soon as we discover his whereabouts, he moves to another section of the city. And we can't intercept him fast enough on account of his scouts keeping their wretched eyes on us; and, he uses his warg to travel faster amidst the rubble."

"Show me his previous locations." Boromir ordered. Taking a close look at the map and its markers, the soldier of Gondor smirked at what he saw and began to formulate a plan. "You give this orc too much credit, brother. His methods are not as flawless as you may believe."

"You have a plan?" Faramir asked his smirking brother.

"Indeed." he chuckled, "Lieutenant, gather the troops. We have a city to reclaim."

 **OUaT**

"Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way." Boromir spoke up.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"Instead of spending our time trying, and failing, to find out about Hades' past, perhaps we should focus on the actions he has made since your arrival."

"What good will that do?" Zelena scoffed.

"It may lead to a better understanding of his intentions and what he may have planned for us and, by extension, Flamel." he replied, "Think, what has he done since you arrived?"

"Not much." Robin shrugged, "He was most likely the one who ordered Cora to convince us to leave without Nicholas."

"He tried to scare us off by confronting us at the mines." Snow added.

"He showed us Nicholas' tattoo and threatened to torture him even more." Emma added as a chill ran down her spine at the memory.

"And he sent that hideous creature to…" Hook carried.

"To…?" Boromir asked.

"I-I don't know." he replied.

"Exactly, you don't." Boromir pointed out, "That beast was barely able to move let alone cause us any trouble. It's like Robin said, why send something so weak and frail instead of something ferocious beast to attack or frighten us?"

"Perhaps it can do more and we just don't know it." Robin suggested.

"If that is the case, then we won't know unless we confront it." he stressed.

"So, what?" Regina asked, "You want us to go back out there and look for the damn thing?"

"I believe that if we are patient enough, it will come to us sooner than we may think." Boromir smirked.

Out in the woods where the creature being discussed was sent flying, the lord of the Underworld loomed over it with a disappointed look while he clicked his tongue.

"So disappointing." he sighed, "And here I thought I sent the right one for the job."

Since it was incapable of speaking, the ghoul could only make a raspy, slurred gargled sound in what could only be assumed as anger; or possibly protest at the remark. Oddly enough, it seemed as though Hades could understand what it was saying.

"I suppose you do have a point. It was kinda unfair of me to send you out here in your condition. But quite frankly, it was amusing to watch as those 'heroes' mopped the floor with you like that." he chuckled while it glared and growled at him, "Oh, alright. I'll return some of your strength to you. Should be more than enough to keep things interesting for round two."

With a wave of his hand, Hades used his powers to restore a small fraction of the creature's strength which more than enough for it to get back on its feet with ease; although, it had to resist the urge to use this newly restored strength and strangle the deity standing next to it.

"Try and make it last a bit longer this time, okay?" Hades sighed, "As much as I hate them being here, watching them struggle while dealing with you is the most entertainment a guy like me can get around here."

Growling at the god one last time, the creature was sent back into town in a vortex of blue fire in an instant. Next thing it knew, it was back at the town square looking around for the group of heroes.

"Uh, guys," Henry said peeking out the window through the blinds, "It's back. And I think it found us."

"Oh, relax, kid." Emma assured, "That thing could barely shift across the ground, there's no way it could-"

But she was cut off by the sound of the creature's fists breaking through the glass and snarling as it tried to claw its way in.

"What the hell?" she asked completely baffled.

"I think Hades may have given it a little boost." Regina observed as they backed away from the door which was kicked in.

"You think?!" Emma exclaimed as McBleedsalot snarled at them and charged at her. But just before it could, Zelena poofed them outside back to the square.

"I don't think this is far enough away, sis!" Regina snapped.

"It's not me!" she defended, "Hades must've done something to keep us from going too far!"

Watching everything play out from his throne room with the crystal ball, Hades smirked viciously and laughed as his servant confronted them all again.

"Let's get ready to RUMBLE!" he laughed.

Having enough with this game, the beast ran towards them as they had their weapons ready. Regina took the first strike and tried to send it flying again with her magic but had to watch as it easily dodged it and continued to charge them.

Robin and Snow let their arrows fly and watched as they pierced itself already bloody flesh. But it still wasn't enough to stop the monster from coming at them. Hook, David and Boromir took the chance to kill it with their swords, but once again their attacks were dodged. It even came as more of a surprise when their foe fought back.

It grabbed David's arm when his strike missed and elbowed him in the face before quickly kicking Hook in the stomach before twisting Boromir's arm, swinging its legs over him and driving a powerful punch to his kidneys.

While this happened, Emma had no other choice but to stay back and defend Henry as everyone else fought. Not only for his sake, but without her magic, she wasn't much use in a fight now; especially, since she hadn't yet figured out how to control the powers she received with the Stone.

Not want to risk the safety of his friends, Robin disconnected his bow and charged at the ghoul with his hooks. Throwing one at it, he had hoped that it would work as this attack normally did, by digging into his enemy's back as he pulled it in. At first, it seemed as though it was about to happen, but just as it was about to, the monstrosity ducked its head and grabbed hold of the hook before pulling the other one and Robin towards it.

Tumbling towards it, Robin couldn't do anything to stop it from backhanding him so hard that his head was knocked against a nearby fire hydrant. It may not have been enough to knock him out, but it sure as hell was plenty enough to ring his bell and put him in a daze; oddly enough, the creature had no desire to keep the bow, all it did was toss it aside before continuing its advance towards Emma.

"Stay back." Snow warned with her bow ready to fire. But the monster only snarled at her in response. Seeing that it wasn't going to heed her warning, the princess fired her arrow and watched as it landed in its chest. Unfortunately, and not in the least bit surprising, it hadn't stopped coming after them.

"Alright, Hades," Zelena said to herself with a fireball in her hand, "Enough of your games."

Throwing her attack, which landed in succession, the Wicked Witch watched as the beast writhed in agony as her green flames consumed it; much to everyone's disgust, however, they could all smell the burning flesh and blood coming from it. It was persistent, there was no doubt about that when it rose to its feet and tried to rush them again, but Robin stopped it by using his crossbow to fire a multitude of bolts, each one hitting their target and sending it back to the ground.

"Maybe this time you'll stay down." the archer remarked.

"Agh, even I'm not going to bother and said 'bloody hell'." Hook sighed as he finally noticed the bloody footprint on his shirt. From the ground, the creature panted in pain and looked up at them as they surrounded it.

"What do we do now?" Henry asked.

"I doubt this thing will be getting up anytime soon." Emma observed, "Let's just leave it here."

"Agreed," Boromir nodded, "Come. We still need to locate Flamel."

As they all began to walk away, the creature managed to use what little strength it had left and grabbed the ankle of the last person to walk away, Zelena. Naturally, since it grabbed her ankle, this caused the witch to fall to the ground. In her frustration, she looked at it in anger, but this anger almost instantly went away when she looked at its one good eye.

Sympathy for the beast consumed her as she continued to stare at it. It wheezed in pain and desperation as it looked back at her. On her knees now, she gently petted the ghoul's head feeling sorry for the poor thing before she looked back to her sister and her friends.

"I'm sorry." she whispered to it.

"I hope I never have to see that disgusting thing ever again." Emma sighed as they all walked away. Feeling a chill run down his spine, Robin turned around to see Zelena use her magic to toss the creature, who barred its teeth at them, towards her.

"Emma, watch out!" he cried. But it was too late, it tackled her and sent them rolling across the pavement away from the others. Beneath them on his throne, Hades smirked as he watched what played out.

"My favorite part of the game." he smirked while watching the creature sink its teeth into Emma's neck, "Sudden Death."

"Emma!" Snow and David cried as they scrambled to their daughter, but Zelena kept them back with her magic. Though they didn't realize it, but the creature wasn't trying to devour Emma's flesh. No, instead it was trying to suck something out of her, something that didn't belong to her.

Having enough of the bloody specter's teeth around her neck, Emma tried to get if off her. But it wouldn't let her. As her anger and frustration grew past her pain, Emma cried out and sent the beast flying with white energy from her hand. She checked her neck to find no wound left behind and then looked at her hand when she realized what she had done.

"Swan, was that-" Hook asked.

"Magic." she gasped with her eyes wide before looking at the sprawled out monster, "It took it. It took the Stone!"

"You idiot!" Regina screamed at her sister who was still on the ground, "Why would you do that?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

But Zelena said nothing. She just stared sadly at the creature and pointed at it as a single tear rolled down her eye. Everyone then watched in horror as the scene began to play out before them.

Convulsing and twitching rapidly, the monstrosity slowly rose a few inches off the ground as it spasmed and cried out in pain. A moment later, its face and body became like the red souls that Emma had seen inside the Philosopher's Stone and was absorbed into it. As this happened, the sound of a small piece of metal clinking against the ground could be heard; but no one paid it any attention.

When it was just the Stone floating in midair, they watched as it erupted a multitude of streams of red lightning as a body began to grown from it. When the gruesome process was done and the body was now wearing the same brown, tattered and bloody cloak as before, it collapsed to the ground with its back facing the heroes.

Rushing over, fully prepared to kill the thing that robbed their precious alchemist his one chance at returning to life, they stopped and gasped when they saw the creature's face. As they did, Henry noticed his uncle's coin on the pavement and picked it up in shock. The rest of them were all smart enough to know that since the ghoul had taken the Philosopher's Stone, it would gain all its abilities and powers. What they didn't know was who the ghoul was. Now they did. Looking down at his unconscious state, they saw Nicholas Flamel lying on the pavement without a single wound on his body.

"Oh, my God." Emma whispered in shock. The most she could bring herself to do was gently caress his face. Everyone else was completely speechless. The thought that the thing that had been pestering them all day actually turning out to be Nicholas had never crossed their minds, not even once.

"He's out cold." Emma said to them while Boromir inspected him. But as he did, Nicholas jolted awake and quickly scrambled away with a look of fear in his eyes. To them, he looked like a frightened animal that wanted to hide and never be found by anyone.

"Nicholas?" Emma asked gently as he crawled away backwards, "Nicky, it's okay."

"Brother, please." Regina pleaded trying to keep her composure. But just as it seemed like Nicholas was regaining his composure, he cried out in pain and clenched his head in agony as he rolled around on the ground. When he was done, and the yelling died down, he rose to his feet and, for some odd reason, began to pat himself down and take in the feeling of his body.

"Mate, are you alright?" Hook asked in concern.

"Nicholas?" Emma asked. Taking a deep breath, he faced them again and opened his eyes. But when he did, they were no longer brown, or even red like they would occasionally become. Instead, they were yellow; golden would be a more accurate description, actually.

"Not exactly." he replied coolly through another, yet familiar to Emma, voice.

 **OUaT**

"Watch out!" the soldiers of Gondor cried as the orcs fired their catapults. So far, Boromir's plan involved leaving Faramir his troops while he took the men he brought with him to sneak past enemy lines.

"Captain!" one of them shouted to Faramir as their archers counter attacked, "We must fall back! Osgiliath is lost!"

"No!" he cried, "Hold the line! He'll pull through!"

"He better pull through." he muttered as he fired his own arrow.

On the other side of the city ruins, Boromir quietly led his men behind the orcs' lines and took out as many as they could while staying as discreet as possible. Thankfully, he had discovered a flaw in the war chief's pattern from moving from one place to another. Balgruth would move to one of eight different spots depending on not only to condition of his forces but the men's forces as well. Going off that, and what he had seen on the map showing who was where, he had been able to pinpoint where the orc was at the time; and he was right. He could see the older orc staring down the city from his perch with his guards at his side. With no plans beyond this point, Boromir said this first and only thing that came to mind.

"Charge!"

His men needed no further orders. They all charged at the orcs and slew them where they stood. The only one that hadn't been introduced to the steel of Gondor was Balgruth, the very orc Boromir wanted to kill the most, and the one he chased after.

"Running away, orc?" he taunted when he caught up to the war chief, "Your master would be displeased."

"As long as the blood of men is spilt," Balgruth snarled as he drew his blade, "I am fulfilling his wish!"

And thus, the battle began on the crumbling remains of Osgiliath. It goes without saying that fighting someone on uneven ground is difficult, but fighting against someone with armor restricting most of your movement on uneven ground that could crumble beneath you at any time is practically suicidal. With his sword in one hand and his shield in another, Boromir blocked Balgruth's attacks and made his own while trying not to fall to his premature death.

Unfortunately for either of them, the building which they were fighting on was beginning to succumb to their battle. Smacking the orc with his Shield, Boromir was able to gain the upper hand, unfortunately, his brother's forces had fired one of their own catapults and made contact with the lower half of the building which only made the fighting even more strenuous.

Falling through the hole forming beneath him, the man of Gondor caught himself and looked up and saw as the war chief tried to take his head. By fate, luck, chance, whatever anyone would call it when graced with the circumstance, Boromir fell through the hole, barely dodging the orc's blade. That being said, Balgruth went in after him and resumed the fight inside the crumbling building.

Without his shield, Boromir was forced to use his sword to fend off the attack which proved that he had been backed into a corner; and in this case, that was also a literal statement. From the corner of his eye, he was able to spot a bonfire fueled with oil just below Balgruth.

"Any last words, manfilth?" he asked pointing his blade to the crouching man.

"Yes. Mind the fall." he smirked before kicking a hole in the rubble sending Balgruth directly into the fire. As much he would have loved to stay and laugh at the expense of the orc's pain and misery, the building was coming down on him and endangering his life.

As it came down, the son of Gondor was able to roll safely out through the debris and back onto the battlefield, which had fewer orcs than when he arrived, laughing as he got over the fear of dying by a falling building. Just then, a pair of boots came in front of his face. Looking up, he saw his smirking younger brother shaking his head.

"I take it that was part of your brilliant plan?" Faramir asked as he helped him up.

"Well, not exactly." Boromir laughed as they hugged each other.

Days later, the remaining orc forces were either dead or fleeing to refuge behind the Black Gate. Seeing that it was thanks to Boromir and his plan, Faramir convinced him to give a rousing speech to celebrate their victory over reclaiming Osgiliath. At the top of a fallen tower, with a white banner bearing the mark of Gondor clenched in one fist and his sword in another, Boromir gave his speech as the troops cheered his name.

"This city was once the jewel of our kingdom! A place of light, and beauty, and music, and so it shall be once more!" he declared as they cheered, "Let the armies of Mordor know this; never again will the land of my people fall into enemy hands! The city of Osgiliath has been reclaimed! For Gondor!"

"For Gondor!" they cried.

"For Gondor!" he shouted.

"For Gondor!"

"For Gondor!" Boromir yelled hoping the heavens themselves would hear him. After joining the others, he found his brother again equally happy over their victory as he was.

"Good speech." Faramir praised, "Nice and short."

"Leaves more time for drinking." he pointed out as they laughed, "Break out the ale! These men are thirsty! Remember today, little brother. Today life is good."

As they toasted their steins and downed their ale, Faramir's happy expression faltered as he looked past his elder brother. "What?" Boromir asked chuckling.

"He's here." Faramir replied in distaste. Looking where his brother nodded, Boromir watched as his father Denethor praised the men as he moved past them to find him.

"Oh, one moment of peace. Can he not give us that?" Boromir sighed.

"Where is he?" he asked proudly finding his sons, "Where is Gondor's finest? Where is my firstborn?"

"Father." Boromir greeted putting on a fake smile as he hugged the steward.

"They say you vanquished enemy almost singlehanded." Denethor praised.

"They exaggerate." he laughed, "The victory belongs to Faramir, also."

At the sight of his youngest, Denethor's smile instantly dropped and was replaced by a frown filled with disappointment and partial disgust.

"If not for Faramir, this city would still be standing." he said sourly as his other son joined them, "Were you not entrusted to protect it?"

"I would have, but our numbers were too few." Faramir defended.

"Oh, too few." Denethor nodded sarcastically, "You let the enemy walk in and take it on a whim. Always you cast a poor reflection on me."

"That is not my intent." he sadly argued.

"You give him no credit yet he tries to do your will." Boromir defended before storming off. But Denethor had more to discuss and followed his son before stopping him. "He loves you, Father."

"Do not trouble me with Faramir." he lectured, "I know his uses and they are few. We have more urgent things to speak of. Elrond of Rivendell has called a meeting. He will not say why but I have guessed its purpose. It is rumored the weapon of the enemy has been found."

"…The One Ring?" Boromir asked not knowing whether to feel afraid or downright terrified, "Isildur's bane."

"And it has fallen into the hands of the elves, but that is not all. A group of singular individuals has heard word of this, as well. They are traveling to Rivendell as we speak. They will try to take it for themselves, as will other men, dwarves and wizards alike. We cannot let that happen. This thing must come to Gondor. It's dangerous, I know. Ever the Ring will corrupt the hearts of lesser men, but you, you are strong. And our need is great. It is our blood which is being spilt; our people are dying. Sauron is biding his time; he's massing fresh armies. He will return, and when he does we will be powerless to stop him. You must go. Bring me back this mighty gift."

Gazing at the look of madness in his father's eyes, Boromir shrugged his hands off his shoulders and walked away; in fear.

"No." he denied, "My place is with my people; not in Rivendell!"

"Would you deny your own father?" Denethor hotly asked.

"If there is need to go to Rivendell send me in his stead." Faramir offered.

"You?" Denethor scoffed, "Oh, I see. A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor to show his quality? I think not. I trust this mission only to your brother, the one who will not fail me."

Seeing that he had no other option, Boromir gathered his things and readied his horse. The ride from Gondor to Rivendell would be long, but the journey that would follow would be longer; and the heir of the steward's last. With his beloved brother looking up to him sadly, Boromir bid his farewells and rode off to the land of the elves; never to return.

 **OUaT**

"Who the hell are you?" Regina snarled as she readied a fireball.

"Calm yourself, Regina." he advised raising his hands, "I'm a friend."

"That voice." Emma whispered, "I know that voice. You, you're one of the souls in the Philosopher's Stone, aren't you?"

"Indeed. My name is Sergence, reendowed master carpenter of Xerxes; or rather I was back when I had my own body." he introduced.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Robin asked, "Why are you talking to us and not Nicholas?"

"I'm afraid Hades did more damage to Flamel than we all thought." Sergence gently replied, "His mind is broken and his soul is damaged. He needs time to recuperate and regain his strength. Until that happens, I shall be filling in for him in controlling this body; for now."

"Why you?" David asked.

"I believe the Savior can vouch for what I am about to tell you. However, I believe that it would be best to discuss this at the loft. If the Wicked Witch would be so kind?" he asked before Zelena poofed them back, "Thank you. Now, back to what I was saying. Since the Philosopher's Stone was brought down here, we who reside in it and power it have awoken from the dormant state we were in on the surface world. Since then, most of us have been trying to give our support to Emma in finding Flamel and returning the Stone to him. Others, however, are not so keen on the idea."

"How's that?" Snow asked.

"Some of the souls have grown tired of Flamel being the only one to have a body of his own. So tired of this, that they are trying to take control and take the power of the Stone for themselves." Sergence explained.

"Can they do that?" Emma asked.

"Before we all lost our individualities and went silent, there were times when these souls would try to take Flamel's place and his body. Fortunately, he was strong enough to push back and prevented that from ever happening. Now, however, since he is weak from what Hades has done to him, that is no longer the case. Until he regains his strength, someone else must be in control to keep the would-be-usurpers at bay and at the moment, that's me. I'm one of the souls that are trying to help Nicholas and return things to the way they were."

"How long will it be before Nicholas' strength is back?" Regina asked.

"Who can say?" he shrugged, "Flamel is resilient, as you all know, and has a strong and powerful will to back up that resilience. If I were to guess…no more than a day."

"It's just one bloody thing after another, isn't it?" Zelena scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"At least we've got him back." Regina pointed out before muttering, "Mostly. Now we just need to find a way to get the hell out of here."

"That may be even more difficult than before." Boromir pointed out, "I honestly doubt that Hades is pleased that we've succeeded in restoring Flamel's immortality."

"In any case, we have all five once again." Robin thought. Later that day, up in her room, Emma looked down at Sergence speaking with Robin and Boromir with a sad look on her face. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice her mother come up and sit next to her.

"Emma?" she asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why does it feel like he's still far away even though he's downstairs?" she asked sadly. Snow realized that despite Nicholas being returned to them and that he wasn't in control of his body, her daughter was still heartbroken and very much missed her true love. All she could do was hug her and try to soothe her as a few stray tears rolled down her face.

 **And now you know why I decided to bring Zelena along for the ride. Even when his face is unrecognizable, Zelena is still able to tell that she is looking her little brother in the eye. Don't worry, I'll be doing more than just giving them a look in the eye kind of thing to show that they love each other.**

 **Now as some of you are probably guessing already, yes, I am going to include bits and pieces of Lord of the Rings in this with Nicholas and some of the other LXG agents added in it. Why? Because ever since I had Nicholas mention that he had been there, these ideas have been floating around in my head and I've wanted to act on them ever since.**

 **In any case, I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can and as always, please let me know what you thought regarding this chapter and if you have any thoughts or ideas, let me know.**

 **Oh, and to the guest who wants me to bring back Lust, I plan on doing that, but I could use a suggestion or two on how to do so. Please share your thoughts and I'll go from there.**

 **Until next time!**


	60. Forgotten Souls

**Sorry for the delay. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, FMAB or LoTR.**

Many years ago, in a secluded location where few knew of its existence, Allan Quartermain looked at the three members of his team with his signature scowl as they stood before him. The mission headquarters had informed him about was one that would take an unknowable amount of time; however, they were able to explain that no matter how long it would take, it would be possibly one of the most difficult missions in League history.

"This assignment comes straight from the director's mouth." he informed gruffly, "The three of you are the only ones in our branch that have the necessary skills and knowledge to complete it without raising too much suspicion or altering the course of the realm's advancement. There's no telling how long you'll be gone."

"Where exactly is it you'll be sending us, boss?" Flamel asked with Mina and Nemo at his sides.

"Middle Earth." he replied shocking them all.

"Why there of all places?" Mina asked.

"As you all know, our organization was founded centuries ago by the members of the first League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; one of them was a native to Middle Earth. He contacted the director not long ago and informed him of the threat the entire realm is facing and since the director considers us his best team, we have been assigned to assist in ending this threat. However, we were not permitted to send everyone, only those whose skills do not involve advanced weaponry that the realm has not yet developed; you three fit that description better than anyone."

"Okay, I can see why you and Sawyer would be out, by why not Skinner or Jekyll and Hyde?" Flamel asked.

"Because Skinner's combat specialty requires stealth and open space." Nemo reminded, "If we are to engage in battle over there, he'd be out of his element due to needing armor and possibly a weapon."

"And we cannot send Jekyll and Hyde because I don't want their formula to be introduced there." Quartermain added.

"So where exactly are we to go once we arrive in Middle Earth, Mr. Q?" Mina asked, "And just how covert do we need to be?"

"Discretion is not required in this mission, Dr. Harker. Everyone you will meet and interact with will know that you are a part of the League and what your purpose is. As for where you are to go, you will use the beans to transport yourselves by the hidden path of Imladris. Follow it, then you will arrive to your destination where you will meet with the founding member and your host. And, Flamel, no sarcasm; I expect you to show them respect."

"Who do you take me for, Skinner?" he asked, "I happen to be one of the politest members here and I am always respectful to the higher ranks. Do you honestly think I'd behave that way to one of our founders? It's Mina's flirting you should be concerned with."

"Point taken." Quartermain nodded.

"Hey!" Mina snapped.

"When do we leave?" Nemo asked.

"Now." he replied as he handed Flamel a vial with a bean, "Head outside and use this. Oh, and one last thing, you won't be making contact at any time during this mission. Your main focus is the mission and the mission alone. No contact coming in and no contact going out."

"So, we'll call you tomorrow night?" Flamel asked humorously which earned a glare from Quartermain, "Right. Shutting up, sorry, boss."

"Just get going." he sighed.

"He's going to shoot you in the head one of these days if you keep up that sarcasm of yours, Nicholas." Mina warned as they left the hideout.

"Eh, not like it can kill me if he does." Flamel shrugged as they uncorked he uncorked the vial and opened the portal.

After landing in unfamiliar soil, the trio of agents found themselves in plains riddled with hills and rocks; the closest one to them seemed to have an odd mark carved into one of the boulders above an entrance. Looking back, if he was ever asked, Flamel would have said that it resembled a deer or sorts. Maneuvering their way past a narrow and jagged path, Flamel and his comrades were greeted with an awe inspiring sight; a beautiful structure built upon the cliffs next to a spectacular waterfall glistening in the sunlight.

"Imladris," Nemo addressed with an impressed nod, "We have reached our destination."

"Rivendell." Flamel smiled using the word men use for the elven location.

About an hour or so later, they reached the pavilion of the structure where they found elven guards to escort them to their host. When they found him, he was accompanied by an old man with a long gray beard, wooden staff, gray robes and a pointy blue hat with a pipe in his hand along with a small elderly gentleman with large hairy feet also smoking a pipe. Dressed in impressive auburn and white robes, their host turned to them and greeted them with a small smile.

"Lord Elrond Halfelven," Nemo greeted with a bow, "It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I am Captain Nemo of the Nautilus, these are my companions and fellow extraordinary gentlemen, Dr. Mina Harker and Nicholas Flamel. On behalf of Allan Quartermain's branch of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, we are here to assist in answering the threat of Mordor."

"And we thank you for it." Elrond nodded, "Your help is most welcomed in this hour of need. I trust that you have questions before the council begins, do you not?"

"Several, yes." Mina nodded, "Pardon my bluntness, but it is rather obvious as to why such a council is being held. The One Ring has been found, hasn't it?"

"Found is not exactly an appropriate word I would use." Elrond replied glancing at the shortest member of the group, "It was 'found' over sixty years ago by Master Baggins here. We have only recently discovered he was in possession of it. Currently, his ward, Frodo is in possession of it and is keeping it safe."

"And where might he be-Nicholas, what are you doing?" Mina asked when she spotted the look of admiration on her friend's face.

"I can't help it." he said overly happy, "I've been on edge in excitement all day!"

In a blur, he was on one knee before the founding member of his organization with a shining look of respect. "It is such an honor to meet you, never in my wildest dreams did I ever even consider the possibility that I would meet a founder of the League in person. Truly, Lord Baggins, you are an inspiration."

Surprised at first by the young man's praise, Bilbo quickly regained his composure and patted Flamel's head with a kind smile. It may have been many, many years since he last had anything to do with the League, but he was proud to see that even after all this time, the spark he helped ignite hadn't died out.

"Thank you for that, my lad." he smiled, "As it happens, I see great potential in you. Tell me, what seat are you in your branch?"

"Fourth, sir." Flamel replied smiling, "I'm the fourth seat."

"Really? So was I." Bilbo replied like a grandfather would to his grandchild. Hearing this made Flamel suppress the urge to squeal. Off to the side, Mina whispered to Nemo.

"But wasn't he the third seat like I am?" she asked.

"I think he's just humoring Nicholas for the sake of being nice." Nemo replied, "Keep it to yourself, though. No need in bursting the boy's bubble."

"If I may intervene," spoke up the old man, "Perhaps the three of you would care to know more of the situation at hand?"

"Oh, yes, of course." Mina replied before dragging Flamel back over to them, "Come on, Nicholas, you can chat with Lord Baggins later."

"But I want to chat now!" he whined.

"Mission first, remember? Do I need to inform Mr. Q that you did not have your attention focused on our assignment throughout our time here?" she threatened.

"…No." he muttered humorously looking downcast before perking up, "All humor aside, what is the severity of what's going on?"

"Two days ago, my nephew Frodo was brought here with his companions to be healed." Bilbo began, "The enemy is as desperate to reclaim the ring as we are equally desperate to destroy both it and him. He even went as far as to send the Nazgul after them to reclaim it."

"Nazgul?" Mina asked.

"They were the nine kings of men who received rings of power from Sauron when he first rose to power." Flamel replied, "Unlike the elves and dwarves, they succumbed to Sauron's darkness and became his servants."

"Indeed, and now they search aimlessly for the ring and whomever may bear it." Elrond nodded, "In addition, the armies of Mordor are growing with each passing day behind the Black Gate. Orcs, trolls, even men are pledging their allegiance to him."

"To make matters worse, Saruman has turned against us, as well." Gandalf added gravely, "We now face the wraths of both Mordor and Isengard in this war."

"Isn't he one of the five wizards meant to keep peace here in Middle Earth?" Flamel asked.

"At one time, yes." he replied almost sadly.

"So we must deal with two opposing sides at both the east and west?" Mina asked, "That doesn't leave us much room to maneuver through."

"No, it does not." Elrond sighed, "But we will discuss more of this during the council. Not all of whom have been summoned have arrived. Until then, rest and make yourselves at home. The borders of Rivendell are well protected."

 **OUaT**

Inside Ms. Ginger's diner, everyone looked at Sergence's disgusting display of eating with cringed expressions. If you may recall, Nicholas had a similar display when he regained his human form after being freed from Nimue's spell.

"Do you have to eat like that?" Snow asked finally speaking up.

"Madam, I haven't had the chance to taste food in almost fifty years. I shall eat however I please." Sergence retorted as he stuffed his face, "Besides, not much else to do around here as we wait for Flamel to regain his strength."

"Well, can't we just go home and wait for that?" Emma asked, "This place is creepy and depressing enough as it is."

"I would advise against that." he warned, "Myself and the others only awoke when we came here. There's a chance that once we return to the surface world, we'll go dormant again, and if that happens while Nicholas is not in control, he may end up going dormant himself and whoever is in control will take his place; permanently."

"So we're just going to stay down here and wait, then?" Hook hotly asked.

"Look at it this way," Sergence began before belching into his fist, "The only difference between this Storybrooke and the other one is the red sky and everyone here is a dead stranger. Get past all that and you're basically home. I can understand wanting to return home, but if you rush this, you will have defeated the very purpose for which you all came here in the first place. So, to be blunt, stop whining and be patient."

"Well, excuse me for being anxious to return home to my fiancé and make her my wife." he defended.

"Is there any way for you to tell if Nicholas is okay?" Zelena asked, "Can't you talk to him, or something?"

"Well, he's not exactly in a talkative mood right now." Sergence replied, "As I said, Hades did quite the number on him. He should be fine soon, though. Just be patient."

As he finished speaking, Sergence suddenly clutched his head in pain before slightly going limp and catching himself. While shaking his head to get his bearings, the others looked at him in both confusion and concern.

"Sergence?" Emma asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, but I'm not Sergence." replied the soft voice of a woman.

"What the hell?" David asked bluntly. Just then, they all watched as Nicholas' body transformed into a beautiful, female version of his body with a few alterations to his clothes and her long hair tied in a braid over her shoulder.

"Ah, that's better, would've been weird to hear a woman's voice come from a man's body, don't you think? Sorry about that, Sergence needed a break." the woman replied with a kind smile, "I'm Kaya, a Xerxian florist."

"What it is going on?!" Regina exclaimed.

"Oh, right, Sergence didn't tell you." Kaya realized, "You see, the longer a soul is in control of the Stone, the harder it will be for them to switch out with another. Sergence was in control a bit longer than we originally planned so I needed to take his place. Otherwise, he'd have run the risk of accidently remaining in control instead of Nicholas. I'll be taking his place for now."

"Love, the more I find out what makes your brother tick, the more bewildered and confused I become." Hook remarked to Regina.

"You're not the only one." she admitted, "So what, is this going to be like some hourly-soul-change thing?"

"Well, I don't know about hourly, but just until Nicholas is ready to take charge." Kaya replied.

"Anything we should worry about?" Snow asked.

"Not unless someone who shouldn't takes control." she replied, "But for now, we don't need to worry about that."

 **OUaT**

Shortly after the three agents arrived, the other invited members of the upcoming council arrived and took time to rest before they were to be summoned. While Mina and Nemo were elsewhere, Flamel took the time to explore as much of Rivendell as he could. He was able to see the representatives of each race ride in with their escorts; Gimli son of Gloin from Erabor, Legolas, prince of Mirkwood, and Boromir of Gondor. At first glance, he could easily tell that each of them were respective and great warriors in their own right. No doubt they were sent to use their skills in the upcoming battle against Mordor.

In addition to seeing the newest arrivals, Flamel also spotted four young hobbits eating and chatting amongst themselves; mostly eating. Based on what Gandalf had told him and the others earlier, he was able to tell which hobbit was which. The two that seemed joined at the hip were Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, also known as Merry and Pippin, two of the biggest trouble makers in all the Shire and often the cause of the old wizard's headaches. The portly one dotting on the youngest one was Samwise Gamgee, a loyal, yet slightly naïve hobbit that still could use some toughening up. Finally, Frodo Baggins was the last to be noticed. He had a kind face but also looked burdened with the weight of the world on his shoulders; no doubt because of the ring he bore. Having grown tired of wandering by himself, the young alchemist approached the ring bearer as he separated himself from his laughing companions.

"Greetings, Master hobbit." he addressed kindly.

"H-hello." Frodo replied, "Who might you be?"

"I am known as Nicholas Flamel, the Immortal Alchemist. I am one of the members of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sent to honor Lord Bilbo's summons." Flamel replied.

"You are a part the League?" Frodo asked.

"Surprised?" he asked smirking.

"Oh, no, no," Frodo replied not wanting to offend him, "It's that I've never met a League's men before. I've only heard Bilbo's stories from when he helped found the League."

"And for that, I envy you." Flamel laughed, "I've always admired the deeds your uncle and the other founders had done. You hail from a proud lineage."

"Thank you."

"Also, Lord Bilbo informed us of the burden you carry." he added gently, "You're very brave to have come this far. Both you and your companions."

"It is a great burden," Frodo nodded, "One I hope will be removed from the world soon."

"I know little of the ring's history. Is it truly as terrible as I have heard?" Flamel asked.

"Yes." Frodo whispered as he clutched his shirt, "I'm sorry. But I wish to speak of this no further."

"Of course." Flamel nodded, "Forgive me. I let my curiosity get the better of me."

"There's nothing to forgive." Frodo said with a soft smile. As he turned to join the other hobbits, he tripped over his large feet and fell to the ground.

"Steady on, there." Flamel chuckled as he helped the lad up. As he did, he realized that the One Ring had slipped out of his shirt and could be seen for all to see. It was simple, for a weapon of such dark power. Instead of it being riddled with jewels or enteric designs like he originally expected, Flamel saw that it was just a small golden band and nothing more. But despite this, he couldn't help but stare at it intensely. Having noticed this, Frodo quickly tucked it away and joined his kinsmen.

 **OUaT**

After leaving the diner and heading towards the docks, Kaya skipped through the depressing streets of the Underworld with a smile on her face. Everyone else, on the other hand, was behind her with befuddled looks on their faces; especially Emma and the two sisters.

"I never thought I'd have one sister in my life," Regina sighed, "Now I have two of them and the youngest is-"

"A knockout?" Emma asked bluntly.

"Not exactly the word I was going to use, but whatever." she retorted.

"Swan, are you saying you're attracted to…her?" Hook asked.

"I have no idea." she replied, "On one hand, I kind of am because that's Nicholas, sort of, and on the other I'm not because I'm not into girls. Sergence was different because the only thing different was his voice and eye color."

"I think we can a few more differences to that list for this one." Snow added.

"A few perkier differences at that." Zelena dryly muttered causing the other women to sulk.

"Makes you wonder if that's what she looked like when she had a body, or if she's taken on what Nicholas would look like as a woman, or if she's just being overly generous to herself." Emma remarked.

"I can hear you!" Kaya called back to them, "And for your information, I only changed to whatever the Stone allowed me. So if you're looking for someone to blame, blame Nicholas; this is his ability."

"Wow." David scoffed as shock overtook them, "And here I always thought that Nicholas was some bashful guy that would be embarrassed at the sight of a woman's ankle."

"He always told me he was a legs guy." Emma said to herself sounding almost hurt.

"Mom!" Henry exclaimed in disgust.

"This is just getting awkward and all around odd." Boromir muttered to Robin who nodded.

While Kaya was skipping, her feet got tangled mid-skip and caused her to fall and smack her head on the pavement. After a quick surge of alchemic sparks, she opened her eyes again. Only this time, instead of the chocolate brown eyes of Nicholas, or the hardened golden eyes of Sergence, or even her own soft and kind golden eyes, a pair of sullen and dilated golden eyes could be seen in their place.

"Ms. Kaya?" Robin asked, "Are you alright?"

"Better than ever," she replied with the voice of a young man. In a split second, this new soul spun around and launched the ultimate spear at them before they got out of the way. "But I'm not that whore Kaya."

"That voice." Emma whispered, "I know that voice. You were the soul who tried to take my place."

"That's correct, Savior." he replied as he took on the form of Nicholas with dirty blonde hair, "And this time, I don't plan on giving up this body any time soon."

"Swan, who the bloody hell is this?" Hook asked.

"His name is Andal." she replied, "He's one of the souls in the Philosopher's Stone."

"Not just any soul." he replied with a mad grin, "I've got a story similar to one you already know. You see, I was a slave in the same household as Flamel. We're virtually brothers born from the same hell hole. And this time, I'm the one who's going to gain immortality; not him!"

"Here we go again." Robin sighed as he readied his crossbow.

 **OUaT**

Not long after everyone had arrived and was situated, Lord Elrond summoned everyone to a secluded pavilion with a chair for each of them around a stone pedestal. The three dwarves sat between the men of Gondor and the elves of Mirkwood, much to their displeasure. Sitting closer to Elrond's personal throne were two elves and a man with shaggy brown hair. The three League agents sat between the Mirkwood elves and Gandalf who sat next to Frodo across from the mysterious man staring at him. The time had finally come; the fate of the One Ring would be decided.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction; none can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. Bring forth the ring, Frodo." Elrond said to the hobbit.

Doing as he was told, the young hobbit presented the ring to everyone before him and set the golden band on the pedestal. The moment they all saw it shining in the sunlight, the representatives of each race muttered to each other without taking their eyes off the enemy's weapon.

"So it is true." Boromir muttered before rising from his seat to speak to them, "In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the west, a pale light lingered, a voice was crying, 'Doom is near at hand. Isildur's bane is found.' Isildur's bane."

As he spoke, he slowly approached the pedestal while reaching for the ring. Seeing this, Lord Elrond shouted at the man, but his words fell deaf over the sound of Gandalf chanting in the black speech of Mordor. As he did, the sky grew dark and the earth trembled and shook with each word he spoke. Given their abilities' dark background, Mina and Flamel felt the weight of his words as much as Frodo did after bearing the ring for so long. When the wizard was done, everyone, except Elrond who looked enraged, looked at him in fear.

"Never before has anyone uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris." he glared.

"I do not ask for your pardon, Master Elrond. For the black speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the west." Gandalf defended, "The ring is all together evil."

"It is a gift." Boromir disagreed, "A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him."

"The blood of your people is not the only one being spilt." Mina hissed, "If it were, you would be here alone while the other races and kingdoms would be home oblivious to the evil of orcs and other servants of Sauron."

"You cannot wield it," the man lectured, "None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would ranger and a woman know of such things?" Boromir snapped.

"Excuse you?" she asked as her eyes turned red and a growl began to creep up her throat.

"Mina," Flamel whispered placing a hand on her shoulder, "Not now."

"This is no mere ranger." Legolas snapped rising from his seat, "He is Aragorn son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" Boromir asked not believing it, "This is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor." he added. Not wanting to be put on the spot for his shameful heritage, Aragorn pleaded with his friend to sit down in elvish.

"Gondor has no king." Boromir spat taking his seat, "Gondor needs no king."

"Aragorn is right. We cannot use it." Gandalf agreed.

"You have only one choice, the ring must be destroyed." Elrond informed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli asked before taking his friend's axe and striking the ring. But as soon as he made contact, the axe was shattered and he was knocked off his feet while the ring remained unharmed without so much as a scratch.

"Anyone else see that coming?" Flamel muttered to his friends.

"The ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli son of Gloin, by any craft we here possess." Elrond explained, "The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Silence briefly filled the air. It went without saying that the thought of charging into Mordor made all of them hesitate. It was the most feared place in all of Middle Earth for a reason and not just because of the thousands of orcs that lied there.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Boromir sighed, "Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great eye is ever watchful. Tis a barren wasteland riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly."

"Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond has said?!" Legolas snapped hotly, "The ring must be destroyed!"

"And I suppose you think you're the one do it?!" Gimli interjected.

"And if we fail, what then?" Boromir retorted, "What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?!"

"Are all you honestly going to bicker and debate this now at a crucial time such as this?" Flamel asked as tension grew in the air.

"I will be dead before I see the ring in the hands of an elf!" Gimli shouted as everyone began to argue, "Never trust an elf!"

"Do you not understand?" Gandalf asked while Frodo stared at their reflections in the ring, "Whilst you bicker amongst yourselves, Sauron's power grows! None shall escape it; you'll all be destroyed!"

Everyone found themselves shouting at one another over this pointless squabble. It was nothing but a waste of time and breath but they did so anyway. As they did this, another voice joined in.

"I will take it!" Frodo announced, "I will take it!"

When they all heard him, they looked to him with shocked looks. This act of bravery by one so small was enough to give them pause; including the three agents.

"I will take the ring to Mordor." he declared, "Though, I do not know the way."

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, so long as it is yours to bear." Gandalf said with respect.

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Aragorn nodded with respect for the hobbit as he kneeled before him, "You have my sword."

"And you have my bow." Legolas added following suit.

"And my axe." Gimli declared as he joined them.

"And you have us, as well." Nemo nodded as he, Mina and Flamel smiled at Frodo and joined in.

"You carry the fate of us all, little one." Boromir acknowledged, "If this is indeed the will of the council, then Gondor will see it done."

"Hey!" a new voice called from behind the bushes. It was then that Samwise rushed in to join the group and stand by Frodo's side. "Mister Frodo's not going anywhere without me."

"No, indeed." Elrond smirked, "It is hardly impossible to separate you when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not."

"Oi, we're coming, too!" Merry exclaimed as he and Pippin joined in, "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us."

"Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest…thing!" Pippin declared earning blank looks from everyone.

"Well, that rules you out, Pip." Merry said dryly.

"I think I'm going to like these two." Flamel thought while smirking.

"Twelve companions," Elrond sighed, "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."

"Great." Pippin smiled, "Where are we going?"

"Oi vey." Mina muttered.

 **OUaT**

Unlike with Emma, and her brief use of the Stone's power, Andal was able to use its abilities with ease as he fended off the heroes' attacks. He fought similar to Nicholas, but his attacks were more vicious and had every intention to kill them.

Considering that he was already dead, Boromir charged ahead of the others and swung his sword. It may have costed being impaled in the chest by the spears, but he was able to hack away at the former slave and sever one of his arms; which quickly grew back, unfortunately. So to make up for this, Boromir struck Andal's head with his sword's pommel causing him to stagger. As he staggered and clutched his head, even for just a brief moment, his head shifted from blonde to brown.

"No," he growled, "Stay out of this!"

"Did you see that?" Regina asked Emma, "He's losing control. Nicholas is fighting back."

"Maybe we can get through to him." she said, "Nicholas, baby, I know you're in there. You have to fight it. Fight him."

"Shut up!" Andal hissed, "That bastard doesn't deserve this kind of power! It should've been me!"

" _You think I wanted this?!_ " Nicholas shouted in his mind, " _You think I wanted to be given this fate?! I had no say in what happened that night, Andal, and no say in being chosen for the experiment!_ "

"Do you think I care if you had a say in what happened? He chose you! You, the mud-eyed bastard from another land!" he spat before losing control.

"Don't call me that!" Nicholas shouted, "Don't ever call me mud-eyes!"

"Nicholas," Emma said rushing to his side as his eye color switched back and forth, "Fight back, you can do it."

"I can't!" he shouted in pain.

"Yes, you can!" she argued as his body surged with red lightning.

"No…I can't!" he cried out as a shockwave erupted from him knocking everyone off their feet.

"I will not allow you to use me as a battery any longer!" Andal shouted as their personas switched back and forth, "I won't be your pawn!"

"We have job to do, Andal!" Nicholas retorted taking back his body in their game of soul-tug-of-war, "You are needed in this as much as the others!"

" _Put your petty jealousy aside!_ " Sergence roared in the Stone, " _The fate of all realms is at stake!_ "

"I don't care!" he shouted, "This is all his fault! Why should we have to pay for his mistake?!"

" _Because if we don't, millions of lives will be ruined just like ours were!_ " Kaya retorted.

"Well, let them be ruined. Because I won't be cheated out of life a second time!" Andal shouted.

"Is that really your decision?" Nicholas asked.

"Indeed it is!"

"Then I have no use for you!" he declared before shoving his arm down his throat and pulling out the red faced soul of Andal. He then chomped down on the soul and severed it from its source. Throwing it on the ground, the soul morphed into a young Xerxian teenager with long golden hair. Nicholas then grabbed him by the throat and spat in his face.

"Be gone, fool! Return to nothing!"

And with that, the would-be-usurper was thrown into the water of the River of Lost Souls and was engulfed in its cursed waves; but not before cursing the name of his fellow former slave. Now once again in control of his body and his Philosopher's Stone, Nicholas took the chance to give a message to all the remaining souls fueling his immortality.

"Let this be a lesson to all who would dare oppose me." he said enraged. The others only saw him yelling at the open space on the docks whereas he looked upon all of the hundreds of thousands of souls dressed in red hoods, instead.

"Should any of you even think about taking this body, or this Stone for yourselves, I will do far worse to you than what I have just done to Andal!" he shouted as most of the hooded souls shuffled in fear, "You have sacrificed much, and for that I am grateful. But should you abuse this gratitude, you will wish that you had died that night instead of being bound to me! I do not care who or what you were in Xerxes, for that no longer matters. But if you feel that it does matter, and this gives you the right to question me and take control, please, feel free to test the waters with Andal the fool."

None dared to so much as shift after hearing the alchemist's words, not even the group of the living watching and listening to every word he uttered. Their answer was clear as day. They would stand with him, and they would not dare to stand against him. He closed his eyes for but a moment, and all the hooded figures were gone.

None of the living onlookers were sure what to do. On one hand, they were beyond happy that Nicholas was back and in control once again. On the other, they weren't sure if it was the best decision to embrace him given his current mood. However, there was one brave enough to go to him; the one who was tired of waiting most of all.

"I'm sorry about Andal." Emma said gently as her true love stared down at the water.

"He made his choice." he softly replied unmoved by the death, "He never was one to listen to others, not even when we were slaves."

"Are-are you back? For good this time?" she asked only to see him smirk.

"You know me, Emma." he chuckled, "There's no getting rid of me."

Not needing to hear anymore, the Savior flung her arms around her alchemist and held him tightly with a relieved smile on her face. The others pooled in to welcome back their friend and joined in on hugging him and patting his back; even Zelena managed to come out of her shell enough to hug her little brother.

"Welcome back, old friend." Boromir nodded in respect. At first, seeing his departed friend gave him pause, but Nicholas quickly moved past it and nodded back to his comrade.

 **OUaT**

After leaving Rivendell and spending several days journeying across Middle Earth, the Fellowship eventually decided to take the cold and treacherous path of Carhadas atop the Misty Mountains. The air was so thin and cold it proved difficult to breathe; even for the three conditioned LXG agents. Gandalf led them up the slope, having been the only one to have taken this path in his many years with the others behind him.

Losing his footing in the lose snow, Frodo slipped and tumbled down the path where he fell into Aragorn's arms. Once he regained his bearings, he noticed that the ring was no longer around his neck, but lying on the snow before being picked up and examined by one of his companions.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing."

"Nicholas!" Aragorn snapped drawing the alchemist's attention away from the ring, "Give the ring to Frodo."

"…Of course." Flamel said with a tight smile as he returned it to the hobbit and ruffled his hair, "I care not."

But Aragorn did not buy this act, nor did Gandalf or the other League agents. They all kept their eyes on Flamel as he continued to trudge up the mountain with the rest of them.

 **Sorry if this seemed a little rushed regarding the underworld scenes, but I'm wanting to get through this saga as soon as possible so I can get to the next one before I go back to school. The next one may take awhile for two reasons, one: I'm going to be working eight to nine hours every time I go in for work and every time, I'll be closing. Two: I use Netflix to watch reruns of the show so I know what happened in the episodes I plan to use and for some reason, Netflix on my computer and tv is acting screwy. So until then, it might be awhile.**

 **Aside from that, I'll bet some of you were surprised at some of the twists I made in Middle Earth; namely one regarding a certain elderly hobbit? I'll talk about that more in the next chapter's A.N. but if you have any questions, PM me and I'd be happy to talk with you about it.**

 **Also, to the guest leaving the awesome suggestions for Lust, thanks, I really appreciate your thoughts and I know what I'm going to do for her in the upcoming chapters.**

 **Again, I hope you all enjoyed and please, let me know what you thought. If you have questions, praise or even criticism, feel free to let me know; even if you normally don't leave a review. Your feedback gives me motivation and helps me better this story for your enjoyment.**

 **Until next time!**


	61. A Father's Duty

**Sorry for the wait, but I am back in business! I've only got a couple of weeks left before I go back to school, but the good news is that I quit my job early so I can have a bit of free time to enjoy what's left of my vacation. That being said, I have no idea how long it will take me to finish up this season. I may not be working anymore, but I will be helping my parents around the house and spending time with them when we can. But I'll try to get through this before school starts and at the very least, start the next saga.**

 **Oh, and thank you all for sticking with this story for so long. It's been a fun year writing this and all of you awesome people have made it all the better. I greatly appreciate your reviews and suggestions and I can't wait for more!**

 **Fair warning, this one is a bit short. But I'll have the next one ready in a day or so.**

 **Enjoy!**

Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest, the Evil Queen and her younger brother, who was more preoccupied with scribbling his notes than what his sister was doing, approached the population of the small village they had just arrived at. Despite it being evil, the monarch had a happy smile on her face.

"Greetings, my subjects." she said to them.

"Your Majesty." a young girl said nervously as she presented Regina a homemade pie, "Happy birthday, my queen."

Reveling in her subjects' fear, she approached the girl and dipped her finger into the pie to taste the filling. Much to her disappointment, it wasn't a flavor she was particularly fond of. "Blueberry. Not bad. But I prefer apple. Luckily for you, I'm not here for the pie. The present I want, none of you have. But you will get it for me; Snow White's heart on a plate. I know she's been here. And if someone doesn't start talking,"

"Wait." one of the villagers interrupted, "I think I can help you. I can tell you where Snow White is."

"Then tell me." she demanded.

"I want something in return." he greedily haggled.

"Oh, I know how this will end." Flamel dryly thought not even bothering to look up.

"How's this for a deal? Tell me, and I'll kill you quickly instead of slowly." the Evil Queen asked as she used her magic to choke the foolish peasant, "Tell me where that wretched girl is."

"Behind you." Snow White alerted as Regine killed the man. At her sides were the seven dwarves and Prince Charming, all of them ready for a fight. "I'm right here, Regina, and I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Grumpy warned as Regina created a fireball.

"We've got you surrounded." Charming added.

"So, what do you say?" Snow asked, "Shall we end this ridiculous conflict?"

Seeing that she was outnumbered, she blew out the flame and relented. "You're lucky it's my birthday and I'm feeling benevolent."

She then poofed herself and her brother back to their castle where their father decided to give his daughter a long overdue lecture. "Is this really the way you want to spend today?" Henry asked in frustration, "Perhaps it's time for a change. Perhaps it's time to give up on revenge and move on."

"I will never give up. Not until Snow White's heart is in one of these boxes." Regina denied.

"We know you loved Daniel, but if anyone is to blame, it's your mother." he argued, "She ripped out his heart so you could become the merciless queen that she always wanted. Don't let her win. Don't let her control you."

"Mother does not control me." Regine retorted, "I banished her to Wonderland, remember?"

"Sister, until you give up this quest for vengeance, Mother will always have a hold on you." Flamel warned.

 **OUaT**

The day after Nicholas regained control over his Stone, and after spending hours with his sisters and Emma, all three of which not wanting to let him out of his sight, the young immortal managed to convince them into letting him out of their sights long enough for him to grab them all some lunch over at the diner.

"I feel like I'm in the subconscious of my Stone down here." he said as he took in his surroundings.

"It's like Storybrooke?" Henry asked as they sat down at the counter.

"No, but everything's in red and it's filled with souls filled with regret and bitterness towards the thing that ruined/ended their lives." he replied bluntly as the Blind Witch brought over four large to-go bags filled with food, "I didn't even order yet."

"She's already figured out what we usually order down here, Uncle." Henry clarified.

"What he said." she nodded.

"Well, it's certainly not the weirdest thing I've experienced down here, that's for sure." Nicholas sighed before his eyes widened with shock.

"Uncle?" Henry asked taking notice of his expression, "Uncle, what is it?"

"That bastard." he whispered as he tore off something that should not have been pinned to the paper bag. Grabbing the rest of them, he stormed out with his nephew following him back to the loft. When he made it up the stairs, he kicked the door open and shocked everyone.

"That bastard has gone too far!" he shouted.

"Jesus, Nicholas!" Snow snapped as she clutched her heart, "You scared the crap out of us!"

"What's happened now?" Robin asked as the alchemist showed them what he found.

"Hades decided to send me a little gift at the diner. This!" he snapped. In his hand was an onyx broach with an ivory design of a small happy family hugging.

"A broach?" Hook asked, "What's so infuriating about a broach?"

"It's not the broach, guy-liner, it's who it belonged to." Regina snapped once she recognized it.

"Well, who does it belong to?" Emma asked.

"Our father." Nicholas replied.

"Henry?" Snow asked.

"What?" her grandson asked.

"Not you, kiddo." Nicholas replied, "Your mom and I named you after your grandpa when we adopted you."

"I don't understand, why would your father be down here?" David asked while Regina looked away in guilt.

"Because of me." she said, "I killed him to enact the first curse. He was the thing I loved most."

"And now, Hades is reminding us that he still runs the show down here by threatening the very state of our father's existence." Nicholas spat, "But I will not let any more of my family suffer because of that so-called god."

"What do you propose?" Robin asked.

There was still just enough of the soul calling ale to use for one more grave, and both siblings had a specific one in mind. While Regina emptied the contents after she and her brother returned to the cemetery, Nicholas held her hand as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Regina," he said softly with a sad smile. Looking up, she saw their father standing before them happy to see his children, yet sad that he was no longer alive to see them grow.

"Daddy." Regina said as she finally let the dam burst, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, dear. It's okay." Henry soothed as he held his tearful children. Yes, even Nicholas, cold hearted as he could be, let a few tears run down his face as he felt his father's warmth for the first time in decades.

"Is it?" she asked, "Am I really forgiven?"

"Of course. I love you no matter what." he said with sincerity, "That's what fathers do."

"I'm not sure they do." Nicholas disagreed, "I think you're very special; you'd have to be to have put up with us. How have you managed to be so full of hope and good after all that's happened to you?"

"Oh, Abba," Henry said causing his son's heart to skip a beat, "I'm not perfect. I have many regrets. Loosing you, not being strong enough for your sister, failing to stand up to your mother. I don't even know which one is keeping me in this place."

"Well, it doesn't matter. Your suffering will not get any worse." Regina declared, "I will not let Hades torment you any longer. We'll both see to it."

"No, Regina. That's what I came to tell you." Henry warned, "Hades is using me to bait you, both of you. He wants to you to leave but I want you to stay. There are people down here, like me, like Abba was, trapped here and suffering under Hades' rule. They need you. They need your strength. Sweetheart, you finally put vengeance aside to be a hero. These souls, they need a hero."

"But Hades will send you into that pit, a place worse than this." Nicholas argued, "You've suffered enough. We won't let you suffer more."

"When your sister tore my heart out, it was driven by the worst motives, son. But if you stay, she, and you, will spread hope. That's the best thing anyone can do. You've both been subject to darkness for too long. Let your old man see you two do the right thing. Then I truly will not have died in vain."

And with that, in a cloud of turquoise smoke, the gentle soul of their father returned to where it came from leaving his beloved son and daughter standing under the red sky.

 **OUaT**

Once night had fallen, the party thrown, forcefully, in honor of Regina's birthday began. Sitting on her throne with her brother at her side, they both watched unamused as a mime tried, emphases on tried, to entertain them. Having enough, the corrupt monarch looked at two of her nearby knights and waved her hand at them.

"Kill him!" she ordered hoping _that_ would at least amuse her. But as they grabbed the mime, her brother stopped them.

"No, wait!" he said before looking to his sister, "You know, a mime is a terrible thing to waste."

Oddly enough, she agreed and had her guards release the terrible excuse for an entertainer who ran out of the castle as fast as he could. As soon as he did, she went back to her typical, moody self.

"Let's wrap this up. I'm tired of revelry." she said dryly to her guests.

"Oh, don't go yet." a new voice said from the crowd. Making room, the guests stood aside for the two siblings to see their mother smiling wickedly at them with a present in her hands.

"Mother?" Flamel asked in shock.

"How did you get out of Wonderland?" Regina asked before growing worried, "Where's Daddy? Did you do something?"

"Oh, I lost track of him hours ago when I had him wrap this. Happy birthday, darling." Cora said fondly as she presented her gift.

"I don't want anything from you." Regina scowled.

"Oh, you'll want this." Cora disagreed as she revealed a bright, red heart in the gift box, "I did what no one else could do, Regina. I've brought you your revenge. Snow White's beating heart. Crush it, and she dies at last."

"Thanks a lot, Father." Flamel sighed in his mind.

"Bring the Magic Mirror." Cora ordered the knights. Giggling evilly, Regina took the heart and watched as the mirror used its power to show Snow White, Charming and the dwarves laughing and drinking outside a pub.

"To my stepmother!" she laughed, "May she spend the rest of her birthdays searching for me."

"To the queen!" the dwarves laughed as they toasted their steins. Seeing that this was more than enough to make her angry, Regina began to crush the heart and watched as her stepdaughter clutched her chest in panic. But just before it became dust, everyone saw Jiminy Cricket pop out from her blouse as they laughed even harder.

"I don't think I'd be laughing if I were Charming." Flamel thought, "I wouldn't be too happy if I just caught that bug running around my fiancé's breasts like that."

As he thought this, Regina finished off the heart and watched as one of her knights fell to the floor dead as a doornail.

"Someone switched the hearts." Cora observed calmly as her daughter seething with anger.

"Who?" she snarled viciously.

"Oh, dear." Flamel whispered.

Having the guests frightened to the point of emptying the room, Regina had her father summoned so she could let loose her anger on him. Flamel, of course, stuck around to make sure his sister didn't do anything too brash while he smoked.

"You gave Snow White her heart back." Regina said accusingly.

"I had to for your own good." Henry defended.

"How could you say that?" she asked feeling betrayed, "She'd be dead right now, and all this would be over. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Of course, but not like this. If you crush her heart, you could be dark forever, Regina. You'll be just like her; your mother. That's what she wants." Henry lectured, "Please. Please, Regina. Please, you have to listen to me. You can be happy."

"Killing Snow White is the only way I will ever be happy." Regina retorted.

"I'm sorry you think that." Henry said.

"You betrayed me, Daddy. And you know what that means." she threatened.

"Do what you will, dear. It matters not, because Snow White lives. And now so does your chance at redemption. Whatever happens to me was worth it." Henry said standing his ground as he took the box from his daughter, "This box is as empty as your pursuit. I pray that it stays that way."

"It's won't." Regina growled, "Until Snow White dies, I will never be what you want let alone what I want. And this box was made to hold something precious. And that's exactly what it's going to do."

"Regina, wait!" Flamel cried. But it was too late. Using her magic, Regina shrunk down their father and placed him in the box as punishment for what he had done.

"Don't worry, Daddy. You're safe in here." she assured, "I just can't let you stop me. But I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Regina, please. Don't." Henry begged. But Regina simply closed the lid and held the box to her chest.

"This is madness." Flamel thought in shock as he stared baffled at her, "This is utter madness!"

Later that evening, while Flamel was searching for a way he could undo the spell on his father, Regina banished their mother back to Wonderland, only this time, their father went with her on a one-way trip.

 **OUaT**

Knowing that Hades would act soon, the two siblings and Henry hurried back to town and returned to the pit of fire where they saw their father standing at the edge while the deity watched.

"Let him go, Hades." Nicholas demanded, "He had nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, but he does." Hades disagreed with a dark smile, "He sired you two. And that's reason enough for me."

With a wave of his hand, Hades willed the fire to consume Henry before vanishing in his own blue fire.

"No!" Regina cried.

"Father!" Nicholas shouted as they tried to save him. But another wall of fire stopped them before they could reach him.

"Daddy!" Regina sobbed, "I'm so sorry."

"Damn it all!" Nicholas cried as he fell to his knees and slammed his fist on the ground.

"Why am I not able to save my own family?" he thought hopelessly as tears fell from his eyes. But suddenly, the fires around the old man went back into the pit leaving him unharmed.

"Daddy?" Regina asked.

"Father?" Nicholas asked seeing that he was safe.

"Stop. Stay there. I'm okay." he assured as a bridge began to form and connect to the other side of the chasm which broke away to reveal a bright, warm light where the sound of birds chirping could be heard.

"What's happening?" Nicholas asked.

"I don't know." Henry said in awe, "There's something down here. It's so…it's beautiful. It's where I belong. I know what my unfinished business was now. It was you, my wonderful children."

"Us?" Regina asked as her brother rose to his feet.

"For so long, I let your mother get in the way of who you really are, Regina. And I always blamed myself for not doing more to find you and keep you safe as a father should, son. Those were the biggest regrets of my life. But now I know, you're free of her and you have the power to protect not just yourself, but others, people who love you and you love in turn, too. And I've never been more proud."

"Hi." Henry greeted finally getting the chance to meet his namesake.

"Is that-"

"This is your grandson, Henry." Regina introduced to her happy father.

"Thank you, Grandpa, for believing in them like I do." Henry thanked.

"Thank you, Henry; for being there when I couldn't. You take good care of them." he said, "It's time for me to go. Regina, Abba, I love you both; so much. Never forget who you really are."

Having no more words to say to his children, Henry walked towards the light and moved on from the Underworld to a better place; a place he deserved where he could be happy and at peace.

"Goodbye, Father." Nicholas whispered as he clutched his father's broach in his hand.

After making it back to the top, the three Millses rejoined the others in front of the broken clock tower.

"Tell me your father's okay." Snow pleaded.

"He's better than okay," Regina said smiling.

"He's in a better place now." Nicholas added happily.

"That means everyone here…" Snow carried.

"Can be saved." David finished.

"Every soul in this town has unfinished business. And chances are, for a lot of them, you're that business." Boromir pointed out.

"You've all deluded yourselves if you think these people are worth your time." Gold debated as he joined them, "They're not the dearly departed. They are dead, wretched souls, and I want no part of it."

"What you want doesn't matter." Robin retorted, "In case you've forgotten, Belle's life is in my hands. And even I have ways of contacting my associates to finish her off."

"Our agreement was to find Flamel and return his Stone to him; both of which have now been accomplished. If you lot want to distract yourselves with this other asinine pursuit, be my guest. I'm out."

"Way to be a team player." Nicholas muttered before speaking up, "Oh, and before you go, Rumple."

"What?" he asked just before Nicholas ran up to him, grabbed his face in his tight grip and deconstructed his face with his alchemy causing him to fall to his knees and cradle his bloody face in his hands as he tried to heal himself.

"That was for trying to pull a fast one on me and take advantage of us. Do that again, and I do that to Belle." he threatened softly in the Dark One's ear so the others couldn't hear him.

"So, who's ready for Operation Firebird?" Henry asked.

"Is that what we're calling it?" Regina chuckled.

"You referring to the mythological bird or the muscle car?" Emma asked as they headed back to the loft. As they walked ahead, Regina heard the sound of a loud tick from the fallen clock behind her.

 **Hope you all liked it! And please, do let me know what you thought, be it positive or negative. And if you have any ideas, feel free to share them with me.**

 **Which reminds me, to the guest who made the suggestion about Sawyer and Regina, it's a bit early for me to decide on that, and honestly, I've been going back and forth between having him with the "other one" if you catch my drift. N.E.Q.**

 **See ya next time!**


	62. Our Decay

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **Enjoy!**

On the surface in Storybrooke, the usually silent mansion hidden in the woods was filled with the sounds of two crying infants. As Robin had hoped, his fellow agents found and took in his newborn daughter and the newest Charming baby while the others were in the Underworld. Surprisingly, they were handling them quite well.

"Aw, Neal, what's the matter?" Mina cooed as she bounced the crying baby, "Do you miss your mummy and daddy? Aw, it's okay."

"I'm just glad little baby Hood is a bit more quiet than the little prince over there." Sawyer smirked as he gave the baby her bottle, "When do you think they'll be back?"

"No idea, Tom." she replied, "I just hope Nicholas is okay."

"Hey," he said gaining her attention, "Our boy is tough as they come. Anything they throw at him, he'll throw back tenfold."

"Uh, guys?" Skinner hollered from the level above, "We've got company!"

"Oh, what now?" Sawyer groaned as he pulled up the security feed on his phone. On the screen, he saw Belle speed walking up the stairs to the front door with a blanket floating in midair in front of her.

"Dammit! That bookworm went looking for the babies." he cursed.

"Oh, relax, Tom. It's not like she can get down here." Mina assured while rolling her eyes.

"Unless she knows about the secret entrance Nicholas' nephew found." Skinner pointed out causing them all to pause for a moment. Sure enough, Belle followed the blanket downstairs to the hall that led to their meeting room.

"Crap!" they all thought before scurrying to cover their tracks. Not a moment after they took care of everything, Belle pulled the lever and entered the room where she found the babies in their cribs.

Skinner had it easy, all he needed to do was strip and he was safe from her gaze. As for Mina and Sawyer, they took the drastic approach and propped themselves in the ceiling above Belle, both holding on for dear life.

"There you two are!" Belle cooed as she checked on them in relief, "I've been looking all over for you. What were you two thinking coming here?"

"Not good, not good, not good, not good, not good." Sawyer muttered past his gritting teeth while struggling to hold on.

"Well, everything's okay now. Let's get you both back home and wait for your parents to come back." she said as she picked up the baby girl.

"Mina, what do we do?" Sawyer asked softly before realizing his friend was beneath him, "Mina?!"

"Put the baby down, girl." Mina ordered from behind. Once Belle turned around, she saw that Mina was hunched over with her hair covering all but her left eye with her hands raised in the air like some sort of scary hag. But before Belle could ask any questions, the entire mansion shook as a portal opened beneath their feet bringing in not just Belle, but the baby that was in her arms as well. Needless to say, the three League agents had shocked and worried looks on their faces.

"Tell me we didn't just lose Nicholas' infant niece to some random floor portal." Sawyer pleaded in dread.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but for our sake, I truly hope he stays dead." Mina said bluntly.

"Mina!" Skinner snapped as he bounced baby Neal as he cried, "That's a terrible thing to say."

"What the bloody hell just happened?!" Quartermain bellowed as he and Nemo stormed in.

"And where is Agent Locksley's baby?" Nemo asked slightly calmer.

"It wasn't our fault!" they all defended loudly.

"Start talking!" Quartermain ordered.

Down below, farther than any of them could ever dig to, Belle and the baby emerged from the portal outside the Underworld's version of the mansion. Little did she know, a certain departed soul was watching her with a devious smirk on her face. On the other side of town, in the loft, Henry presented pages telling of how Snow and David found a way to contact their son that very morning at the diner. Although, Boromir seemed to be the only one unimpressed at what the young Author had done.

"Riveting tale." he sighed, "Snow likes oatmeal. Is my morning breakfast in there, too? Henry, I thought you were going to use your Author powers to get us to defeat Hades."

"I don't even remember writing this. I just woke up and had it done." Henry replied in a typical teenage tone.

"Okay." Emma eased, "It's really well-written."

"Yes, and the illustrations are lovely." Regina added.

"Maybe if you focus harder-"

"Oh. So you're all Authors now? Everyone's a writer. Everyone's got an idea." Henry said rudely as he grabbed his work, "I'm doing my best. Maybe if you just laid off for a little bit."

"Hey!" Nicholas barked as he grabbed his nephew by the ear, "Don't talk to your mothers like that."

"Why don't you just back off for once?" he snapped as he pulled away and stormed off upstairs.

"Henry? Henry!" Nicholas shouted.

"Well, we officially have a teenager on our hands." Emma sighed.

"This is what happens when you guys constantly coddle him. He doesn't listen!" Nicholas said to the two women as a knock on the door could be heard.

"Who the hell could that be?" Regina asked as she opened the door. Once she did, Belle barged in with the baby in her arms.

"Belle?" Emma asked.

"Is that my niece?" Nicholas asked.

"What?!" Robin and Zelena exclaimed.

"Love, what are you doing down here?" Hook asked.

"So it's true?" Belle asked as she handed the baby to Robin, "This is the Underworld?"

"Yeah, and why are you and the baby here?" Nicholas asked.

"Nicholas? Oh, thank God, you're okay." she said while giving him a quick hug, "I don't know what happened. I've been looking for the baby and Neal ever since you left. I used a locator spell on Neal's blanket and-and it took me to the Sorcerer's Mansion; both of them were in that secret room Henry found. I ran into some crazy woman whom I think was looking after them."

"Crap!" Nicholas cringed in his mind, "She saw Mina!"

"Next thing I knew, I-I-I fell through a portal with the baby and landed here." she finished.

"Why the hell did a portal open up to take you to the Underworld?" Regina asked.

"I know why." Zelena spoke up, "Hades."

"Is he just trying to get everybody to move down here?!" Nicholas exclaimed, "Sis, why would Hades do this and how do you know."

"He wants to use her for a spell." she informed, "My time-travel spell. He has the same thirst for vengeance as I did."

"No," Nicholas disagreed seeing there was more to it, "There's more to it than that. What aren't you telling us, sis?"

"Well, um, I-I didn't want to say anything at first because of what he did to you." she said awkwardly, "But, well, H-Hades and I have, well, rather, um, a history together."

"…What?" he asked.

"When you say 'history,' you mean?" Emma asked.

"I mean, the King of the Underworld has a taste in green-skinned redheads." Zelena retorted.

"Agh," Nicholas groaned as he shook his head in his hand, "Just when I thought this family couldn't get even more screwed up. Wh-wh-when did you two even have a…thing?!"

"Back in Oz, before we were all properly acquainted with each other." she replied, "And you can relax, I didn't return his affection; quite the opposite rather harshly, really."

"My eldest sister and the deity who, literally, tore off all my skin and tortured me in the pits of hell. And I thought it was bad when I found out Mother and Rumple had a more than professional relationship back when she was his student." Nicholas sighed.

"Oh, says the one who's dating his great-step-niece/the biological mother of his nephew!" Zelena shot back.

"Alright!" Regina interrupted, "We get it. Our family members have odd love lives. Can we just stop, please?"

"Incest fetish lover." Zelena sneered.

"Necrophiliac!" Nicholas retorted.

"Alright!" Regina shouted, "That's enough!"

"And I thought my family had issues." Boromir chuckled.

"Family squabbling aside," Nicholas said hoping to change the subject, "Now that I've got my Stone back, can we please figure out a way to get out of here?"

"That's easier said than done." David said as he and Snow entered the loft.

"Belle, what are you doing here?" Snow asked upon seeing her friend.

"Long story." she replied.

"What happened now?" Nicholas asked.

"You'll want to see it yourselves." he replied. Leading them outside, they returned to the graveyard where they found three tombstones that had Emma's, Snow's, and Regina's names carved on them.

"What the hell are these?" Emma asked.

"I know." Boromir answered, "Hades found a way to keep you all trapped down here. As long as your names are on these graves, you're trapped down here as though you were already dead."

"Flamel, I don't see yours anymore, mate." Hook observed.

"That's because he came up with something else." Nicholas said dryly as he spotted a mural wall up the hill. After they reached it, Nicholas nodded bitterly at what he saw.

"Yep, it's just as I thought. This is Hades' newest method in keeping me down here."

"How? Whose names are these?" Belle asked.

"These are the names of all the souls in my Philosopher's Stone. He's clever, I'll give him that." he sighed.

"Are you sure all of them are on here?" David asked. As he did, Nicholas showed them a sticky note on the wall that read, "Soul Count: 536328."

"Yep." he sighed as he crumpled it.

"Well, can't we just take you back without the Stone?" Hook asked.

"Oh, sure, _Killian_ , that's a great idea!" Nicholas said sarcastically, "Let's get rid of the very thing you guys fought tooth and nail from to give to me so I could return to life/the very thing that's keeping me alive; that's brilliant!"

"I just meant, seeing as you've built yourself another body, you don't need the Stone anymore." Hook defended.

"Did you not see the state I was in after I gave Emma the Stone?" he asked, "Even if I hadn't impaled myself with Excalibur, I'd have dead in minutes. This Stone is the only that's keeping me alive. I literally cannot live without it!"

"Maybe we can get Hades to remove them." David offered, "There's got to be some way."

"I hope so." Nicholas agreed, "Otherwise, the number 536331 is going to be taboo for us all."

Having left the cemetery, the Charmings broke off from the group to try and make contact with their son while Emma, Henry, Hook and Boromir went back to the diner for lunch. As for the three siblings, archer and bookworm, they were trying to ignore the awkward tension emanating from happy couple.

"Well, now that we've established that we won't be leaving this place any time soon, might I hold my daughter?" Zelena asked with her arms stretched out.

"Our daughter," Robin corrected, "And, no, you may not. Zelena, despite coming down here to help us, you are far from being trusted enough to hold our child."

"Robin," Nicholas defended as the baby began crying, "Come on, man. She-she didn't have to come down here for me; especially after what I did to her. She's probably hungry. Why not just let Zelena feed her?"

"I-I have her bottle." Belle informed as she pulled it out of her coat. Reluctantly, Robin nodded and gentle passed his daughter to her mother.

"Alright fine. But as soon as she's done, you're handing her back." he ordered as Zelena cooed and fed her baby.

"There, there, my little sweet pea. There, there." she said sweetly, "Are you hungry? Yes, you are. Your mummy knows exactly what you need doesn't she? Yes, she does."

Once the baby was done, she passed the bottle back to Robin without taking her loving gaze off her baby. "Okay. That's it. She's done. Hand her back." Robin demanded impatiently.

"Now, Zelena." Regina stressed while her sister rubbed her fingers together to spark green, magical energy.

"No, sis. Not now. Not ever!" she spat before facing her brother, "I'm sorry."

With a wave of her hand, she pushed them back with her magic causing Nicholas to cry out in pain as it briefly tore through his skin. As she ran off, her baby began crying once again; only this time, it wasn't because she was hungry.

"Oh, it's okay." she soothed as she gently bounced the baby, "I'm gonna find us a safe place, yeah? What is it, sweet pea?"

Taking a closer look, Zelena realized that the baby was crying in pain due to the slight scratch she had on her little cheek. "Oh, no, it's okay. Let Mummy fix it."

But just when the Wicked Witch was about to use her magic to ease the infant's pain, she realized something. When she used her magic on the others, it brought harm to her daughter, as well. And that was more than enough for her to break down in tears.

"My magic did this. I did this." she sobbed holding the baby to her heart, "I'm sorry."

Hours later, after night fell over the Underworld, Nicholas, Regina and Robin journeyed over to the Underworld's version of Zelena's farmhouse where they knew she had herself and the baby locked up in.

"Zelena?!" Nicholas called out.

"We know you're in there!" Robin shouted in anger, "Zelena, enough! It is not safe for you or our child out here!"

"Zelena!" Regina yelled just as her sister came out crying.

"I'm right here." she sniffled.

"Zelena, are you alright?" Nicholas asked in concern.

"It's all my fault." she sobbed, "I can't protect her. Not down here. Not from him."

"What happened?" he asked as his concern grew. But Zelena refused to answer him.

"Take her." she pleaded.

"What?" Robin asked.

"Take her. You can protect her, I can't. I don't want to hurt her again." Zelena said heartbroken, "I don't care if you never let me see her again! You have to save her, Nicholas, please! It's more important than what happens to me."

"We'll do everything we can to protect her." he promised as his sister said her goodbyes to her baby.

"Goodbye, little one. Mummy has to let you go." Zelena sobbed giving her daughter one last kiss. Nicholas watched in sadness as his eldest sister ran back into her home while cradling the baby. Seeing her like that brought pain to his soul, but he knew that for the safety of his niece, he had to respect her wishes and let her make this choice; even it was the most painful one she ever made.

Back in the loft, after Robin had left with the baby to hide in the woods and everyone had fallen asleep, Nicholas went upstairs to check on his nephew who had fallen asleep at his desk again. Smoothing out his hair, he looked at the boy in fondness; sometimes it was hard for him to accept that the young man before him was once his cute, little nephew. Hopefully, he would be able to have similar experience with his new niece as he did with Henry.

As he brought over a blanket to cover the boy, he spotted something he wrote underneath his arm. His eyes widened in shock when he saw that it was an illustration of the briefing room in the mansion with his team's portrait drawn in. Taking a closer look, he found several pages of written text involving the League. With no other choice, he grabbed all of the pages, took them outside, struck a match and watched them burn away into ash.

"Sorry, Henry." he whispered, "But my story isn't ready to be told yet."


	63. Ruby Slippers

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT. Enjoy!**

Back in the cemetery, Emma, Nicholas and Snow stood before the three tombstones. "Hades thinks he can beat us. It's time to prove him wrong." Emma declared as she used her magic to try and take off the names as the wind picked up, "When I burn these names from the graves, there'll be nothing keeping us here. We can all go back home."

"Wait." Nicholas warned, "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"The wind's picking up and turning violent. A storm's coming our way. We need to find shelter, now." he advised as a cyclone formed up the hill. Fortunately, it didn't last long and everything seemed to be okay.

"Well, that was quick." Emma said bluntly, "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah, but something's out there." Snow warned as she readied her bow, "Something was in that storm."

Before anyone could do anything, some sort of monster pounced on Snow and attacked her. Next thing Emma knew, she was waking up on the roof of the library trying to catch her breath.

"Bad dream?" Boromir asked from the ledge.

"Yeah." she exhaled, "It was nothing. I just fell asleep."

"Good thing you did. I don't think you've slept much at all since you arrived down here." he observed.

"I'll sleep for weeks as soon as we defeat Hades." she huffed. As Boromir was about reach his hand out in support, Emma immediately swatted it away before looking back down at the street.

"I was just trying to offer some comfort." he defended, "It seems to me, Savior, that you don't fully trust me."

"Excuse me for being cautious." she remarked, "You're not exactly famous for being completely true to your word in protecting people."

"What?" he asked as the lights shined beneath them.

"That's the signal. They're ready." she said before heading down below with the sheriff. Once inside, she pulled her mother in for a big hug.

"Is everything okay?" Snow asked.

"Yeah." Emma lied, "It's just good to see you."

"When you're done hugging it out, Emma, we're ready to get through." Regina informed as Nicholas put the finishing touches on the large transmutation circle he was drawing around the elevator; with an excited expression, one might add.

"You seem pretty cheerful." Emma teased.

"I have had the need to draw a transmutation circle since I was a kid." he clarified, "It feels almost nostalgic."

"And how are we supposed to defeat Hades and get back home with a circle covered in squiggly lines?" Hook asked impatiently.

"Hades put one hell of a protection spell on his elevator," Nicholas explained, "And this circle covered in squiggly lines is the best way to crack it open without using magic; which would alert him causing even more problems for us."

"Hopefully, that elevator will take us straight to him." Snow said raring to fight.

"Maybe with surprise on our side, we can get a shot at him." David added.

"That's a lot of 'maybe's and 'hopefully's." Hook remarked.

"It's all we have right now. Do it." Emma nodded.

Taking a deep breath, Nicholas prepared himself as he slammed his hands on the elevator doors and preformed the transmutation. Everyone else had to shield their eyes as the blue light radiating from the circle almost blinded them while the door began to unlock. Once it did open, and the lights died down, everyone looked at the brick wall covering the entrance in disappointment.

"So much for surprising him." David sighed.

"Well, we'll find another way. We always do." Snow reassured.

"What if," Emma suggested, "What if I could burn our names off the gravestones that Hades made for us, the ones holding us here?"

"I looked for a spell like that. It doesn't exist." Regina replied.

"Actually, it does." Emma disagreed, "It kind of came to me in a dream."

"A dream?" Nicholas asked.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can remember every detail. It would be a long shot, but…"

"Well, as for maybes and hopefullys, I've learned never to question yours." Hook nodded.

"Are you saying that because you actually believe in her, or because you're just really desperate to get back to Ariel?" Nicholas asked earning a glare from the pirate, "Right, shutting up. In any case, Em, I'm coming with you."

"Snow and I will take Henry back to the apartment, keep him safe." David informed.

"No, actually, I'm gonna go with Emma." Snow corrected.

"No, no, that's not a good idea." Emma disagreed.

"I promised to take down Hades and get back to our son, remember? If this is how we do it, I'm in." Snow argued.

"Emma," David smirked, "I wouldn't argue with your mother. Trust me."

"Well, that explains where she gets her stubbornness from." Nicholas thought dryly.

"Get going, and I'll meet you at the cemetery." Regina urged, "First, I should go talk to my sister. Maybe she knows more about Hades than she let on."

"You think she'll talk to you?" Emma asked skeptically, "No offense, Regina, but she seems closer to Nicholas than you."

"Only one way to find out." she sighed as she left the building. Back at the cemetery, Emma tried to copy what she had done in her dream.

"The spell worked in my dream. Now I just need to make it happen." she said as her hand began to glow while the wind picked up.

"Emma, wait." Nicholas warned, "Something's wrong. The wind's picking up and turning violent. A storm's coming. We need to find shelter, now."

"Why did you just say that?" Emma asked looking frightened.

"Don't worry, it's fine, hun. It's just a storm. We've been through worse." he assured.

"No, I should not have brought you here." Emma said over the howling wind, "My dream, it wasn't just a dream. This is exactly how it happened."

"Em, can we talk about that a bit later? We need to take shelter now." Nicholas stressed as the cyclone touched down and brought the raging wind to an end, "Well, that was kinda anti-climactic. Maybe this is turning into a good dream."

"It wasn't the storm I was worried about. In the dream, the cyclone brought a monster." Emma warned.

"What kind of monster?" Snow asked as it roared behind them.

"That kind." she answered in fear.

"I'll take a look." Snow said only to be stopped by her daughter.

"No! Mom, you just have to trust me. I can't let you do this."

"Okay." Snow agreed seeing how scared her daughter was, "Okay, Emma. It was your dream. You tell us. What do we do now?"

"We run." she answered before taking off with them at her heels. With the only safe place close by being his sister's vault, Nicholas led them inside and sealed the entrance. "Okay, I know it seems a little creepy, but we should be safe down here."

"What was that thing, and why is it chasing us?" Nicholas asked.

"I don't know, but if it comes close, you and I can take it down." Snow advised.

"No, you cannot go back out there." Emma shot down.

"Emma, what are you so afraid of?" she asked, "We've faced monsters before."

"My dream, it's happening. And there's something I didn't tell you. You died." Emma admitted causing the room to become deathly silent; pun intended. Before anyone could say anything, Nicholas heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Extending his spear, he came close to piercing Regina's neck.

"Hey, sis." he said nonchalantly as he retracted the spear.

"Well, I'm glad death hasn't slowed your reflexes." she sighed, "Well, this has turned into quite a day. Why are you all in my vault?"

"Short version: thing with fangs trying to kill us." Snow replied.

"And you're hiding instead of fighting?" Regina asked.

"I saw the same monster in my dream." Emma explained, "And in the end, it…"

"It killed me." Snow finished.

"I thought it was a message or some sort of vision of the future."

"Well, you dreamt it. It's not like it'll happen." Regina assured.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Nicholas interjected, "It's possible that you still have some of your Dark One powers, Emma."

"That can't be." she argued, "All that power was transferred into Gold."

"Maybe, maybe not." he theorized, "Your magic is resilient, no arguments there. It's possible that you may have traces of the same foresight magic Gold acquired when he was first the Dark One or you're unlocking more of your powers. Either way, seeing glimpses of the future can be added to your list of abilities."

"Maybe this dream isn't just about the monster." Regina suggested, "It's about you working out some issues."

"I don't have any issues." Emma lied trying to play it cool which earned her some looks.

"Emma, we don't need your super power to see through that." Nicholas pointed out, "What's wrong?"

"Maybe I…feel like I failed everyone." she admitted.

"Failed?" he asked, "Babe, you saved me. You endured the same kind of torment I used to go through so you could bring me back."

"But we're still trapped in the Underworld. What the hell was I thinking bringing everyone down here? Bringing Henry down here? This was a terrible plan." she said on the verge of tears, "I should have done this alone. Now I'm always frightened. I'm frightened that someone will die, and it'll be my fault. And I'll never forgive myself."

"Emma," Snow gently said, "You didn't force any of us down here. We all wanted to come with you. We knew it would be hard. These things always are, but some things are worth it. Love is worth it. Now, if you want to get home, let's do what works. Let's face this monster together."

Seeing that her mother was right, Emma swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded with newly restored courage. Heading outside and following the monster's tracks into the woods they found it running through the trees. Thankfully, Regina and Emma were able to knock it out with their magic.

"Wait, everybody stay back!" Emma warned as they approached it, "That thing could still be alive."

"Emma, stop!" Snow halted, "Don't kill it!"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Nicholas groaned once he and the others saw the monster was actually a large wolf laying next to a familiar red hood.

"I think your dream was vision. But it wasn't about saving me." Snow realized as she threw the hood over the wolf, "It was about finding her."

"It really is a cold day in hell when I find my ex was chasing after me and my girlfriend." Nicholas bluntly thought as he looked down at Red dressed in her old Enchanted Forest clothes. After Regina poofed them all back to the loft, Nicholas placed her on the bed as the others barged in having received Snow's message.

"Is she okay?" Snow asked.

"Why is she down here?" David asked.

"She's not…" Henry asked.

"No, she's still breathing." Nicholas assured.

"Well, how long do you think she'll be out?" Snow asked.

"I don't know. We hit her with some strong stuff. Could be awhile-Nicholas, what are you doing?!" Regina exclaimed when she saw her brother pinch Red's nose and kept her mouth shut. Sure enough, the lack of oxygen was more than enough to wake her up.

"Dammit, Nicholas!" she shouted hotly.

"Kept my distance from the girl for 2 ½ years and I still know how she ticks." he said with a smirk.

"Lack of oxygen would wake anyone up, Nicholas." Boromir flatly commented at his friend's actions.

"Not you, it wouldn't." he dryly retorted, "Welcome to the Underworld, Ruby."

"The Underworld?" she asked.

"It's a long story. Emma became the Dark One, I died, etcetera, etcetera." he said clearly unhappy to see his ex-girlfriend.

"I don't understand. I used a tracking spell so the cyclone would bring me to Zelena." Red explained.

"Ruby, she's down here, too." Emma replied.

"Wait, love, you came down here looking for Zelena?" Hook asked.

"Why am I not surprised?" Regina sighed, "What did our sister do now?"

"It's my friend, Dorothy. Zelena wanted her magic slippers so that she could get back to her baby." she replied.

"Ruby, what did Zelena do to your friend?" Snow asked.

"That's why I'm here. I don't know. Dorothy went to face her and just disappeared. Mulan and I looked everywhere, but we couldn't find her." Ruby said in a panic, "Snow this is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't shown up in Oz. It's just one more life that I have destroyed because of what I am."

"That is not true, and you know it." Nicholas sighed.

"Ruby, we'll find out what happened to Dorothy. I promise." Snow swore.

"There's only one way we're going to do that. It's time to talk to Zelena." Emma suggested.

"And here I thought we were actually getting somewhere with her." Regina sighed. Once they reached the farmhouse, they saw Zelena try to escape with her slippers. Thankfully, Regina was able to stop that with her magic.

"Leaving so soon, sister dear?" Nicholas asked dryly.

"How do you expect me to become mother material if you won't leave me be?" Zelena snapped.

"Well, we were planning on it until someone you screwed over literally dropped out of the sky." Regina retorted.

"What did you do to Dorothy?" Red demanded. The witch didn't answer.

"Zelena, please tell us what you did to Dorothy." Nicholas begged, "Fight your instincts and help us. It's the only way you'll ever see your little girl again."

"No." she said, "I'm afraid I can't fix this. Even I can't help Dorothy now."

"Why not?" Emma asked. Sighing in annoyance, Zelena summoned a mirror showing Dorothy lying in Oz surrounded by Munchkins.

"You killed her?" Ruby asked feeling like she had the wind knocked out of her.

"Not quite." Zelena smirked, "I took a page out of your book, Regina."

"Sleeping curse." she groaned.

"You need to wake her up." Ruby ordered.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you; I can't. Dorothy may have the love of the people of Oz, but there's only one thing that could help her now." Zelena explained.

"True love's kiss." Nicholas sighed.

"No family, unmarried, unloved, all alone. There's no one that can give Dorothy what she needs. I'm afraid sometimes I'm just too clever." Zelena said reveling in what she had done.

"Inside, now." Nicholas growled pointing to the house. Once inside with his sisters, he grabbed a chair and began to smoke. "Okay, sis, I've had more than enough experience to tell when a person wants something. So tell me, what do _you_ want?"

For her answer, she took off her slippers and placed them on the table. "It's a simple trade really. The slippers for my daughter."

"Of course." he sighed.

"Really?" Regina asked, "You think you're in a position to bargain with your own child? You trapped Dorothy in an unbreakable curse."

"I'm sorry if I'm good at what I do." she smirked.

"Stop hiding behind all that bluster, Zelena." Nicholas said blowing out his smoke, "You're not proud, you're caught."

"Look, we get it." Regina sighed, "You did a terrible thing, but just because you made one bad move, or thirty, doesn't mean you can't make a good one now. Zelena, you can come back from this. Trust us, we know."

"Think so?" she scoffed.

"Well, there's only one way to find out if you try, sister dear." Nicholas said with a smirk as she handed over the shoes.

"Here. You can keep your pep talks." she said to them while grabbing a bottle of whiskey, "I have no delusions that anything will change. Not either of you, not me. I hope they wake her. And if you need me, I'll be right here."

"We have to do something." Ruby said in panic on the porch, "Dorothy is all alone back there. She doesn't have anyone."

"Not for long." Regina denied holding up the slippers, "These can at least get you back to Oz."

"How did you get her to hand those over to you?" Snow asked.

"Believe it or not, all we did was ask." Nicholas chuckled.

"What good are slippers if there is no one back in Oz that can give Dorothy true love's kiss?" Ruby asked frantically.

"Are you sure there isn't anyone?" Snow asked.

"Her family was awful to her." Red replied, "The only person that she had ever loved was her deceased Aunt Em."

"She may still be here. All we have to do is find her." Emma pointed out. Once they reached the cemetery they found Auntie Em's grave.

"That's her. That's Auntie Em." Ruby said.

"It's not cracked or tipped. She's still down here." Snow observed.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find her." she stressed.

"Cool your jets, Eliza." Nicholas said trying to calm down, "It's not that simple. Unlike me, she's still dead so she can't just leave the Underworld to give Dorothy true love's kiss."

"Maybe she doesn't have to." Snow offered, "The other day, the Blind Witch bottled David's breath."

"What?" Emma asked, "Why would she do that?"

"Well, she roasted children in her previous life. Do we even want the answer to that?" she asked.

"Fair point." Nicholas shrugged.

"The point is maybe we can do the same thing with a kiss from Aunt Em."

"Ruby could use the slippers to deliver it to Dorothy in Oz." Emma said catching on.

"Snow!" David called as he, Hook, Henry and Boromir came running over to them with worrisome looks, "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"What is it? Did you talk to Neal?" she asked.

"Hades ripped out the phone." Boromir replied, "He's cut you all off from Storybrooke."

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Snow, Neal's fine." David eased.

"Wait, no, we don't know that. I mean, maybe Hades did this for a reason. Maybe he's gonna make a move on Storybrooke now that we're trapped down here." Snow panicked.

"This is exactly what he wants, for all of us to lose hope." David reminded.

"Well, it's hard not to when not only might our child's life be in danger, but Hook's fiancé's, too." she retorted.

"Bloody hell." Hook whispered, "She's right. I haven't even used the phone myself, I don't know if Ariel is alright."

"All of you, relax." Boromir interjected, "If you are worried about Hades wreaking havoc in Storybrooke, then don't. He doesn't have his powers in the realm of the living. All he can do is visit it for brief periods of time to cause mischief. Your loved ones are safe from him."

"Maybe so, but I think it's time." Emma spoke up.

"For what?" she asked.

"For you, Dad and Hook to go home."

"Swan?" Hook asked, "N-no, we-we can't just leave you down here. We haven't defeated Hades yet."

"You've done more for me than you know and so many down here." she said sincerely.

"And I meant what I said, we came because we wanted to." Snow argued.

"Because I needed you." Emma corrected, "Now your other kid needs you more. And Storybrooke might, too. Hook, you've been putting off your happiness with Ariel for my sake for too long."

"Well, what about Hades?" David asked, "We don't even know how to begin to fight him yet."

"Well, we'll just have to find a way to wage our war without you guys." Nicholas said, "Guys, I appreciate you all coming down here for me, I really do. But I'm no longer Hades' prisoner, I have my Stone back. Don't continue to waste your time down here now that what you set out to do has been taken care of."

"But this is the Underworld. We can't just walk out." the shepherd argued.

"You can with the slippers." Emma reminded, "Go to Oz with Ruby. Once you help Dorothy, you can click your way back to Storybrooke. Mom, Dad, Hook, you've done enough. Go take care of the rest of our family, and go marry that mermaid before she comes to her senses. We'll be okay."

"You all are forgetting something." Regina interjected, "Hades carved Snow's name on a tombstone. Emma, you couldn't take it off. Even with the slippers, she can't leave."

"I can't, but you can." Snow said to David. Seeing no point in arguing with his wife, David relented and accepted that he would be leaving without her. Afterwards, with the information provided by the Blind Witch, the group found out that Auntie Em ran another diner in town. Naturally, they went over there in hopes of her being able to help.

"Welcome to Auntie's!" she greeted kindly, "The potpies are my own family recipe, but we do a good roasted chicken, too. Rotisserie, any way you want. But the soup, well, the soup is to die for. Unless you're already dead. Then it's, uh, well, you know what I mean."

"At least the old girl's still got her spirits and sense of humor up." Nicholas thought humorously as she had some of her soup.

"We're trying to help Dorothy." Emma informed gaining the old woman's attention.

"You know my Dorothy?" she asked, "She's not down here, is she?"

"No, she's alive, but she needs your help." Red replied.

"She needs true love's kiss. All you need to do it blow a kiss into the bottle." Emma explained as she handed Em the bottle.

"Maybe helping Dorothy is your unfinished business. Maybe that's why you're down here." Snow guessed. As Em was about to blow a kiss into the bottle, her body began to turn into water.

"What? What?" she asked in panic, "What's happening?"

"Emma, what did you do?" Snow asked, "Emma?"

"Can somebody help her?" Red pleaded.

"I didn't do anything." Emma replied.

"Somebody do something!" Red cried. But it was too late. Auntie Em became nothing more than a small puddle of water to be cleaned up by her busboy.

"What the hell was that?" Regina asked.

"I don't think the soup agreed with her." Hades joked from behind them in a booth.

"You did this." Emma accused.

"Mm. Guilty." he smirked, "A little water from the River of Souls gives the soup a little something special. Isn't that right, Number 23?"

Hearing that number caused Nicholas' eyes to narrow in on the god in pure utter rage as veins began to bulge on his forehead. "Call me that again, and I'll test the limits of your immortality."

"Oh, forgive me. Would you prefer I call you 'mud-eyes' instead?" Hades asked while smiling when he saw Nicholas' anger be replaced by fear, "Not that one either, huh? Shame, I figured you would've liked to hear those old names after all these years."

"Leave him alone." Red defended before Emma or Regina could.

"Why would you hurt her?" Snow asked, "She was just a sweet old lady."

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, "Because you're trying to help her."

"And Dorothy, who happens to be Zelena's sworn enemy. Did she put you up to this?" Regina asked.

"Trust me, she has no idea I'm here. This is so much more than about jut your sister." Hades replied, "Let's call it a teachable moment."

"You wouldn't be here unless you were scared we might actually win this fight." Emma challenged causing the god of the Underworld to chuckle.

"Is that so, Savior? Because I don't think Dorothy's dear old aunt would agree with you." Hades taunted as he mopped up the water and emptied it into a jar, "Citizens of the Underworld, from now on, this is what happens to anyone who deals with these so-called heroes. So, who's next in line for their help? Oh. No? Mm, it's to be a Savior when no one wants you to save them."

After leaving the diner, they all returned to Ms. Ginger's where Nicholas confronted his worrisome ex. "So, when exactly did you realize you preferred chasing skirts to your own tail?" he asked bluntly.

"Wha-what?" she asked taken aback.

"Come on, Red, I know you better than anyone, even Snow." he said getting to the point, "Despite you breaking my heart, I still consider you my friend. Not as close of a friend as I used to, but still a friend none the less."

"…I really am sorry for all that." she said softly in guilt.

"Come on, I was just giving you trouble." he smirked, "But I can tell that you've fallen for this girl, Red. Admit it."

"Aren't you freaked out that your ex-girlfriend is actually bi?" she asked allowing herself to smile.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, _Ruby_ didn't know what it meant to be subtle, if you catch my drift." he clarified.

"Oh, God!" she groaned laughing.

"You flirted with everyone, Red. And I do mean _everyone_." Nicholas laughed, "If anything, I used think at some point in our relationship, you were going to try to talk me into having a threesome with you and some other girl; at one point, I thought you were going to suggest either Snow, Emma or Regina."

"Hmm." she hummed thinking it over.

"Oh, my God! Red?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Red laughed, "I missed this. You and me laughing together like old times."

"Hard to believe that everything was simpler back then, huh?" Nicholas asked feeling nostalgic, "If only I had known then that even after dying, the past will still find a way to haunt you."

"Is that what Hades did?" she asked in concern, "When he called you…those names?"

"Yeah." Nicholas sighed, "That's exactly what he did. 23 was the number I was given by my master when I was a slave. As for…the other one. That's what the slave traders called me after they captured me. Every time I hear it, or even think about that name I remember their greasy, filthy faces laughing as they lashed us, raped the women they captured or when they would play guessing games on how much money they would make off of us. It's funny, isn't it? I start having a panic attack hearing a name so simple that a kindergartener could come up with it."

"I don't think it's funny at all." she said looking serious, "Nicholas, why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Put yourself down every time you think about your past. You shouldn't do that, you're better than that and you know it." Red lectured gently still concerned.

"Heh, I forgot how caringly stern you get with me." he chuckled, "I don't know. I guess I just still blame myself for what happened to all those people."

"You were fourteen and had no idea what was going on." Red pointed out, "You make yourself feel miserable over something you had no control over. Let me guess, you're still wearing those ratty, old sandal straps around your legs, aren't you? I knew it. You still won't let go of the past; even after all these years. Don't you think that's why you can't sleep at night? Why you're constantly plagued by those nightmares?"

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"You still have that tired look in your eyes. Oh, Nicholas, you have no idea how much worse that's gotten since we met." she said sadly, "You used to be so full of life and spirit. Now all that is just an act for Emma and the others, and for you, too."

"I'm never gonna understand how you're the one person out there who can read me so easily." Nicholas sighed with a faint smile.

"I'm your girl, remember?" she asked.

"You'll always be my girl." he smiled as he brought in his first love for a friendly hug. After they separated and Red began to walk away, Nicholas spoke up again. "I did love you, you know. You never let me finish saying it that day. Just thought I'd say it now."

Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Red quickly wiped away her tears and headed out the diner leaving the man she too once loved behind. Despite having found a new source of love in her life, and fully knowing that he too found love with another, the pain of ruining what they had still had a way of striking her heart every time she recalled the way she left things at the diner. The looks of utter devastation and betrayal she saw on his face still racked her body with guilt even to this day. Back at the cemetery, everyone prepared to say their goodbyes to Red, Hook and Charming.

"Put these on." Regina instructed as she gave Red the slippers, "Think of where you want to go then click your heels three times. David, you and the one-handed wonder should take her hands and hold tight."

"So, I guess this is goodbye." Snow said as she hugged her husband.

"We have done this before, we can do it again." he lightly chuckled.

"When you get home, tell Neal that I will be there as fast as I can." she pleaded.

"Well, actually I was hoping that you could tell him that for me." he requested.

"David, you know I can't leave." Snow reminded.

"Now you can." he replied.

"What?" she asked.

"I removed your name from your headstone." Boromir explained as he twirled an old chisel in his hand, "One thing I've learned being down here for over forty years, people are terrible at keeping track of their things; Pan's no exception."

"The rule down here is simple; a life for a life." David informed as he showed them his name etched underneath Snow's scratched out name, "So, I traded mine for yours."

"David!" Snow snapped.

"If one of us gets to go home and see our son, it should be you." he said with love.

"Why did you do this?" Emma asked Boromir.

"Let's just say, I've grown rather fond of you lot. It was the least I could do. Besides, I've rather enjoyed pissing off Hades since you arrived." he replied smirking.

"Wow," Nicholas said in surprise, "Merry and Pipin's mischief rubbed off on you more than I thought."

"Mom," Emma said as she hugged her mother, "I'm not very good at goodbyes."

"I know." she said, "It runs in the family."

"Take care of yourself, Hook." Nicholas said shaking the pirate's hand, "Thank you, again for coming down here to help me."

"You're my friend, Nicholas." Hook said kindly, "I didn't need any other reason to convince me to do this. To be honest, I was hoping we'd leave together so you could be my best man."

"You've still got Smee, right?" the alchemist joked before pulling him in for a quick bro-hug.

"…Aye." Hook sighed in distaste, "That I do."

"Ready?" Snow asked as she and Hook took Red's hands.

"Let's go find Dorothy." she nodded, "And, Nicholas? I did, too."

"I know, Red." he smiled before they vanished in a puff of white smoke. Thankfully, thanks to Henry's Author powers, they were able to see that Snow made it back to Neal after Red was reunited with Dorothy, and as an added bonus, Hook was able to make it in time for his own wedding.

 **For all you readers who wished I had stuck with Alchemy wolf, if you are still even reading this at this point, this is my way of giving you one last snippet of Red and Nicholas together. I hope you all enjoyed, and please do let me know what you think.**


	64. Brothers & Sisters

**We're almost there! Just a little longer and we'll reach the saga I've been waiting to get to for the past year! Who else is as freaking excited as I am?! Little heads up, I've only got two weeks until I go back to school so until then, I'll get as many chapters out as I can. Don't worry, I'll be done with this season before I go.**

 **But until then, ENJOY!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, FMAB or LoTR.**

A few days after Snow and Hook left with Ruby, Regina returned to the loft late one night after spying on Zelena having a picnic with Hades out in the woods. Naturally, Regina tried to make Zelena the one at fault for doing something as small as having dinner with the god.

"They were on a date?" Emma asked slightly disgusted.

"Match made in hell, it would seem." Boromir remarked.

"So let me get this straight," Nicholas sighed, "You thought it would be a good idea to admit to her that you were spying on her as you lectured her like you're Mother? Regina, are you an idiot or just plain stupid?"

"Excuse me?!" she snapped.

"Oh, shut up!" he barked, "You are just making this a hell of a lot more complicated for us. Zelena does not like you, Regina; she hates you. And you hate her! What part of you thought it would be a good idea to do something like that?!"

"Oh, yeah? And what would you have preferred that I did, little brother?" she asked.

"Gee, I don't know." he said sarcastically, "Maybe, nothing! Or perhaps, let me talk to her considering she and I actually get along and I treat her like a sister instead of a petulant child like you do! Agh, you're acting just like Mother."

"Uh, guys." Emma said awkwardly.

"Wait, say that again." Regina said.

"I said, you're acting just like Mother." Nicholas said gritting his teeth, "A stuck up old crone set in her ways and unwilling to listen to anyone but herself."

"Who also has knack for tearing apart blooming love." she added.

"Oh, come on." he sighed, "You're honestly going to go that low just to keep Zelena and Hades apart?"

"Am I missing something?" Emma asked.

"Regina is going to have our mother pull the same stunt on Zelena she did to her; ruin her chance at love like the anti-matchmaker she is." Nicholas replied.

"Oh, God." she muttered.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Boromir asked, "Hades has had her working at the mill underground ever since she failed to get you all to leave when you first arrived. I know for a fact that he cut off her magic, as well."

"That's where you come in." Regina replied, "You're going to break her out."

"Lucky me." he groaned.

Down beneath the town, Cora, still dressed in her rags, was working non-stop to haul heavy sacks of flour as per her punishment for having failed Hades. Having to do the very work she despised in death as she did in life brought her no joy and made her want to kill anyone who so much as looked at her as she worked. Especially the guards keeping watch on her.

"No time for rest." one of them said, "There's more flour to mill. There's always more. Now get to work!"

As she reluctantly continued to carry the heavy sacks, she went over to grab more straw. However, in one of them, she found a certain chisel she knew was enchanted. When the guards weren't looking, she used it to remove the magic sealing cuff on her wrist.

"Where'd you get that?"

"I have my suspicions." Cora smirked, "Shall we see if I'm correct?"

Without waiting for an answer, she used her newly restored magic to send the guards flying as she made her escape. Making her way through the tunnels, she ran into Boromir who was waiting for her.

"Madam Mayor." he nodded politely.

"Sheriff Boromir," she said still smiling, "Unfortunately, I am no longer the mayor of this…fine community. To what do I owe the pleasure?

"Well, first of all, I'm no longer the sheriff. Not since I decided to help your daughters locate your son. Which we have, in case you were wondering."

"Abba?" she asked, "Abba's safe?"

"And alive." Boromir nodded, "Though, I wasn't aware that was his true name. Regardless, he and your youngest daughter sent me to liberate you. If you will follow me, I shall take you to them."

With a wave of her hand, Cora traded her old rags and mangled hair for a stylish pantsuit and soft, groomed hairstyle. "Lead the way." she said sweetly yet deviously.

On the other side of town, David was leaving the pharmacy with baby supplies for Robin and his daughter. As he was about to cross the street, the sound of a patrol car's siren stopped him in his tracks. He couldn't see who at first, but was able to tell that there were at least two people in the car. Coming out of the driver's seat, David saw an all too familiar face, his own, or rather the face of his identical twin brother, James.

"Well, well, there he is. The shepherd." James mocked arrogantly, "Looks like you lost your flock."

"James." David exhaled.

"It's Prince James to you." he snapped as he slammed the door shut.

"Alright." David agreed seeing that his brother was angry, "Prince James it is. I'm just glad to finally see you so we can talk. I know why you're so angry with me because-"

"Mother gave me up and kept you?" James cut off, "Is that what you think? Oh, brother. Guess you're not as good at reading people as you think."

"If that's not the problem, what is?" he asked.

"Well, it's simple. You stole my glory." James replied, "You were never half the man I was, and yet you got everything. Everything that was mine. Well, now you're gonna pay."

"It's not my fault you got yourself killed." David argued.

"Well, we'll see what happens now, shepherd."

"You want to prove you're so much better than me? Fight fair." David challenged.

"Why bother?" James chuckled, "What could you ever do to me? I'm already dead."

Seeing that his brother had no intention of fighting fairly, David was about to grab a nearby piece of wood so give himself the upper hand. However, just as he was about to grab it, sharp, black spears nicked his hand.

"You didn't think I came alone did you?" James asked smugly as David saw the one who was using the spears was in the patrol car, "No. Not while you've got that alchemist running around town with you."

"Th-that-that was the Ultimate Spear." David said in shock.

"Yes, it is." a smooth and seductive female voice said as the other person came out of the patrol car and retracted the spears, "I happen to use it a bit more elegantly than Flamel does, however."

Taking advantage of his brother's shock, James sucker punched him in the face causing him to fall the ground and cradle his jaw. "Who the hell are you?" David asked as he saw his brother wrap his arm around her waist.

"Who, me? You can call me Lust the Lascivious; while you still can." Lust giggled evilly before knocking David out with her stiletto.

"Nicely done, babe." James chuckled, "Well, brother mine, you've had your fun playing prince. Now let's see what happens when I play shepherd."

"Just don't forget, James." Lust reminded as her lover traded shirts with his brother, "If we run into him, the alchemist is mine."

"Of course. And when we're done, you're all _mine_." he said perversely.

After being escorted to her vault by Boromir, Cora was greeted by her daughter's loving hug before being led inside. "I'm so sorry I didn't come for you sooner. If I had known-"

"Sweetheart," Cora interrupted, "I can take care of myself."

"Mother." Nicholas said before giving her a tight and slightly tearful hug.

"Oh, my sweet Abba." she whispered lovingly as she hugged him and rubbed his back, "Hades will pay for what he has done to us."

"That's actually one of the reasons why we helped you escape." he clarified.

"Why? What's he done now?"

"Well, for starters, he put not just Regina's name on a tombstone, but the names of all the souls powering my Philosopher's Stone on a mural wall keeping us trapped down here so he can go to Storybrooke without us following him."

"Impossible." Cora shook her head, "I know the Lord of the Underworld can't leave this realm for good."

"No, he-he can," Regina said awkwardly, "If he restarts his heart with true love's kiss."

"Who could possibly love that man?" she asked completely baffled.

"…Zelena." the siblings replied.

"Zelena?" Cora asked.

"Apparently, they have a past." Nicholas nodded.

"That's how he knew about her. We need to change her mind."

"Regina already tried; and failed miserably." he remarked.

"Because she thinks she can change him and make him a better man." Regina retorted while glaring at her brother.

"You were right to come to me, darling. She's in more danger than either of you realize." Cora warned, "Hades has spent far too long down here to be changed by something as simple as love."

"How do we stop Hades from hurting Zelena?" Regina asked.

"We have only one option. We have to make her forget Hades ever existed." she replied before poofing them to the woods at the bank of a small stream, "This spring flows from the River Lethe."

"The River of Forgetfulness." Regina nodded.

"One drop of its waters, and it will be as if Zelena never even met Hades."

"Yes, Mother, we know how it works." she replied, "I have dabbled with forgetting potions before."

"As have I." Cora nodded, "In fact there was a spring from this very river near our estate in the Enchanted Forest."

"Who did you use it on?" Nicholas asked.

"That's not important." Cora replied as she bottled the water, "What is important is that you find a way to get Zelena to drink this."

"Good luck there." Regina scoffed, "After I crashed her date, I don't think she'll let me or Nicholas within a mile of her farmhouse."

"She will."

"What do you have in mind?" Nicholas asked.

"After all these years, I think it's time she finally gets to meet her mother." Cora replied.

In the depths of the woods, James, Boromir and Emma were walking down the road to meet up with Robin to drop off his supplies. "How much further?" James asked.

"This is where Regina said Robin would meet us." Emma replied.

"Great. So what do we do now?" he asked growing impatient, "Rob from the rich and hope he shows up?"

"Uh, no." Emma said finding his question odd, "Robin will just find us."

"In the middle of the woods?" he asked.

"Hello." Robin greeted with the baby behind them, "Not everyone needs magic to be stealthy. Where's Regina and Nicholas?"

"Uh, condensed version?" Emma asked, "Zelena and Hades are on the verge of being the world's worst power couple. Regina and Nicholas are taking care of it."

"Never would have thought old flame-head would find love with a wicked witch." Boromir chuckled as James slapped a cuff on Emma's wrist.

"Siblings," he scoffed as he pulled his gun on them, "They can be a real pain, can't they?"

"Dad, what the hell?" Emma asked.

"That's not your father, Emma." Boromir growled, "It's been awhile, Deputy."

"It's sheriff now, Boromir." James smirked, "Thanks to you jumping ship to help these idiots, I got promoted, even though I should have been in charge from the start."

"Same old James, jealous and bitter towards those who have what he wants." Boromir sighed, "I bet it made your stomach turn to be a prince working for the son of a steward all these years, didn't it?"

"Stop talking." James warned, "Or one of them is stuck down here with us, permanently."

"Now, now, James," Lust eased after coming up in the patrol car, "The archer and his brat can die, but leave the Sacrifice alone."

"Sacrifice?" Emma asked while Robin tried to keep his cool despite knowing exactly what Lust was, "Wait. James? Where's my dad?"

"Oh, he's locked up in the Sheriff's station. I've been trailing him for some time. Figured when Snow blew this joint, well, that was my chance." he smirked.

"And what? You were waiting on your arm candy to back you up?" Emma taunted only to be silenced and shocked when on of Lust's spears came to her throat, "How did you do that? That's just like-"

"Flamel's?" she asked with her own wicked smirk, "So it would seem he has yet to tell you about your upcoming role, let alone what I am."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"She's a Homunculus, Emma." Robin replied while glaring at Lust, "An artificial human created through alchemy. That tattoo on her chest is a dead giveaway. So you were Nicholas' target that year before the second curse. I can only imagine how much pain he inflicted on you before you died."

"Continue to taunt me and I'll let your daughter feel a similar kind of pain." Lust warned as she aimed a spear at the baby.

"That tattoo…I've seen that tattoo before." Emma remembered.

"You have?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, there was this fat guy who attacked me back when we were dealing with Ingrid. He-he had it on his tongue." she stammered.

"Ah, so you ran into Gluttony, then." Lust sighed, "That oaf never did know when to keep tabs on his insatiable hunger. I'll have to discipline him once I get back if our father hasn't already done so."

Thankfully, Boromir stepped in with his sword cutting off Lust's arm. "Maybe I should discipline you first? You know, perhaps Flamel managed to kill you because you had your guard down?" he taunted.

"Is that what you think?" she asked before everyone watched as it grew back.

"That's impossible." Emma gasped, "You-you shouldn't be able to do that…unless-"

"Unless I have one of these?" Lust asked as she tore open her chest to reveal a Philosopher's Stone, "You have no idea how long it took for me to make another one of these after Flamel destroyed mine. Thankfully this place is like an all-you-can-eat-buffet of souls."

"You wench." Boromir snarled only to be impaled and sent flying into a nearby tree by the Homunculus.

"What do you want?" Robin asked with a glare.

"Out." she simply replied, "As you probably know, all the fun up top will begin in less than a week, and I don't plan on missing out while you and your friends try to ruin our plans. All we need is for Hades to open a portal for us."

"And why would he do that? You have nothing he wants." Boromir denied.

"Oh, but we do." Lust corrected while smiling at the sleeping baby, "At least, now we do. I'd imagine the god of death would listen once he knew the life of the woman he love's child was on the line. No idea why, though. Humans at any age are still just utterly pathetic and foolish creatures."

"Now, hand her over." James demanded.

"Not gonna happen, mate." Robin replied as he fired an arrow from his wrist crossbow. Not even bothering to move, James let it impale his heart and chuckled before yanking it out in amusement.

"Arrows, they can't hurt me." he grinned as he pointed his gun directly at Robin's head, "But one pull of this trigger and, well, you're not just a visitor in the Underworld."

"You pull that trigger, and all you'll do is keep me down here so I can just make your afterlife a new kind of hell." Robin warned, "If you want to put a permanent end to us, then I suggest you throw us in the River of Lost Souls."

"Hmm, that's actually not a bad idea." James agreed, "Let's take a drive, shall we?"

"What are you doing?" Emma whispered.

"Relax, I've got a plan." he assured as they crammed into the car.

Back at the farmhouse, Zelena was sitting in her kitchen while gazing at one of the dead flowers Hades had given to her. Her thoughts were soon interrupted upon hearing a knock on the door. When she answered it, her eyes widened with shock as she looked at Cora.

"Hello, Zelena." she greeted.

"Mother." Zelena said taken aback.

"I wasn't sure you'd know who I was."

"I don't know what you're doing here, but I don't need anything from you!" she sneered as she slammed the door only to see it swing back open with a flick of Cora's finger.

"We both know you've been waiting for this moment your entire life. Let's not pretend otherwise." Cora said gently. Knowing that her mother was right, Zelena nodded and let her in.

"I don't like this." Nicholas said while he and Regina waited outside with the water, "We're taking advantage of our sister's last chance to actual get to know Mother."

"Suck it up," Regina said harshly, "It's our best bet in hurting Hades."

"Hurting Hades, or hurting Zelena?" he asked glaring at her.

"What?"

"I think you only agreed to this because you still resent Zelena for getting pregnant with Robin's baby." he accused, "You only want to do this because you want to take away Zelena's chance at love because she tried to take away yours. You don't care what happens to her, you want her to get hurt."

"Oh, and you care?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Nicholas retorted, "Zelena is my sister, too, Regina. If you try to hurt her out of something petty like getting even or some other bitter reason, I will make you regret it and join up with her."

"She killed Marian-"

"Don't give me that bullshit." he interrupted, "That's Robin's reason to be angry with her. Need I remind you, the first time it happened, you killed her. No. You hate Zelena because you're jealous that Robin had a child with her and not you."

"How dare you?" Regina asked.

"Hey, I'm not the one who made herself barren." he calmly retorted, "You made that choice all on your own, sister dear."

"So," Zelena began as she sat down with Cora, "You just happened to be in the neighborhood, taking a little stroll in Hell and decided to stop by?"

"No," Cora replied softly, "I've, um, been in a kind of prison, Hades' version of one, anyway. And when I hear you were here, I knew I had to come."

"Regina sent you, didn't she?" she asked, "To try and talk me out of it."

"No, it was actually your brother." Cora lied, "He was concerned about you and thought that, perhaps, meeting me would offer you some sort of clarity in your choice regarding Hades; to give us the chance to finally meet before you leave with or without him. As for stopping you, I'm the last person to do that, not when it was my doing that put you in this position in the first place."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Zelena asked.

"I'm sure your feelings for Hades are real. But isn't it obvious? You're still trying to fill the hole in your heart I created when I abandoned you." she explained.

"I'm not interested in talking about this." Zelena said stiffly, "I'm over it. I have been for years."

"No, you aren't." Cora said seeing through her eldest child, "What I did left a wound that's been festering for decades. You want to know if I regret my decision, if after all these years, I'm sorry I gave you away."

"Well, are you?" she asked on the verge of tears.

"Of course I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Cora said with the utmost sincerity.

"Then why?" she asked.

"I thought it would be the best for you." she said before scoffing at her answer, "For me. And I was wrong. Don't you understand why I can't leave the Underworld yet? I thought it was Regina or Abba, but now I know. It's all three of you. You're my unfinished business."

Seeing her daughter about to break down in tears, Cora finally gave her a long overdue hug filled with love and warmth while Regina and Nicholas snuck in.

"I'm sorry." Zelena apologized as she took a seat and wiped her tears, "It's just all a bit much."

"It's alright, sweetheart." Cora chuckled, "Here, why don't I get you some water?" Leaving the kitchen, Cora went into the hall to take the glass Regina had filled with the enchanted water.

"This should help." she said handing over the glass.

"You know, it's funny. I've imagined this day a thousand times; finding you, hearing that you're sorry, that you really did love me. I mean it almost feels like a dream." Zelena said happily.

"For me, too." Cora smiled.

"There's just one thing that's different. See, in my dreams, your apology was genuine. I never thought you'd try to poison me." Zelena said dropping smile and dumping her glass into the fireplace, "You can come out now, Regina. You too, Nicholas."

"For the record," Nicholas began to say as they came in, "I was against this the whole-"

"Oh, shut it." Zelena sneered.

"Okay." he said as he put his hands behind his back.

"Did you really think I'd believe all that drivel?" she snarled.

"It wasn't drivel." Cora gently defended, "I know you're upset, sweetheart."

"I am way more than that, sweetheart!" she shouted as she kicked back her chair and rose to her feet.

"Please, Zelena, let us explain." Regina tried to ease.

"You know I expected this from them, but you?" she said glaring at Nicholas in heartbreak, "You were the last person I expected to betray me! And here I actually believed you when you said you were willing to give me a chance."

"I did mean that." he said gently, "I meant every word. Just hear us out."

"Hear what out?" she asked, "That you're trying to ruin my life again? What, Regina couldn't do it by herself, so you went along with her to go running to Mummy?"

"I wasn't trying to ruin anything." Regina snapped before calming down.

"Of course not. You were just doing what's best for me." Zelena sneered, "You three are cut from the same dark cloth. You've never cared about what happened to me. None of you! I can't believe that I thought that things could be different between us. All you ever care about is yourself. No matter what I do, we will never be on the same side!"

"You know what? You're right" Regina said as Zelena conjured a green fireball and she summoned a red one to match it, "You want to fireball this place? Then let's do it."

"Okay, I've had enough of you two." Nicholas growled as he had his hand surge with red alchemic lightning, "If neither of you will act like the mature, older siblings, than I will."

"Enough!" Cora shouted using her magic to nullify all their attacks, "If the two of you should hate anyone, it's me."

"This isn't about you, Mother." Regina said while glaring at her sister.

"But it should be." she said with guilt laced in her voice.

"Mother, what are you talking about?" Nicholas asked.

"It happened about four years after we lost you. There was a time when your sisters cared about each other." Cora confessed.

"What are you talking about?" Zelena scoffed

"There's a chapter in our family history the two of you have forgotten." she began to explain as she took her daughters' hands, "It was a long time ago. Now it's time you remembered."

Using her magic, she filled both Zelena and Regina's minds with the long forgotten memories of when they had first met and loved each other as children; and how Cora had ripped that love apart. When they were able to remember everything, both sisters looked at one another with new eyes. It was clear to Nicholas that the love they once had for each other was enough to toss away the hatred that had been festering in them towards one another for so long.

"You see?" Cora asked, "You were sisters once, who loved and needed each other. I thought that love, any kind of love, was weakness. I was a fool. Look at you, Regina. You stay here to help your brother, your father and your friends. You're stronger than I ever was. And that's the strength you got from the people you love, not from me."

"Thank you, Mother." Regina said tearfully.

"My Zelena," Cora began with love, "I meant what I said earlier. I am so sorry. Sorry I never gave you the family you deserved or the love. I should have been there for you, instead of wasting my life destroying people. Maybe now you won't have to make the same mistakes I did."

"What if it's too late for me?" Zelena asked as she cried.

"If being here's taught me anything, it's that it's never too late, especially for family. You never stop being connected, right up to the end. And sometimes…even after." Cora assured, "And, Nicholas, my dear, sweet Abba, I will never be able to forgive myself for having lost you and allowing you to suffer so much pain and torment for all these years. And though I know you have forgiven me, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you will let go of the past. Let it go and allow yourself to find peace of heart and mind. Only then will you truly be free of those shackles.

"I-I will try, Mother." he nodded as tears brimmed in his eyes before they all hugged. Believing that her unfinished business had been taken care of, the three siblings thought it would be best to take Cora down below and see her off before she moved on.

"How did this work with your father?" Cora asked as they all stared at the fiery chasm.

"He just crossed the bridge." Regina replied as a storm of emotions swirled inside her and her siblings, "And it took him to where he belonged; into the light."

"Will that work for her?" Zelena asked.

"Whatever my fate is, I deserve it." Cora decided.

"Mother, you don't have to-" Nicholas began.

"I can face it. Knowing I brought the three of you together, that's-that's all the peace I need. Just promise me that you'll hold on to each other." Cora requested with a sad smile to her crying children. Ready to say her goodbyes, she stepped up to Regina and Nicholas first, "In the real Storybrooke, when I died, we never got the chance to say goodbye."

Taking this last chance, even as she herself cried, Cora tightly hugged her son and daughter as they cried on her shoulders while hugging her back. Breaking away, she then turned to Zelena who was also crying and brought her in for a hug.

"We never even got to say hello." she choked, "Oh, I love you all."

With the hugs shared, the tears shed, and the final goodbyes shared, Cora whipped away her tears and prepared herself for whatever came next. Stepping to the edge of the bridge, the fire began to form around her. But just as her children were about to step in and save her, the fire returned to the pit and the light that welcomed her husband shined on her as well. By opening up her own, and mending her children's, the Queen of Hearts had been redeemed.

"I've waited my whole life to have a mother, and now she's gone." Zelena sobbed.

"Oh, it's okay." Nicholas said through his own tears, "You may not have a mother's love in your life, but you have something else. You have a brother's."

"And a sister's." Regina nodded sending love into the void in Zelena's heart, "And I think you have another love to find."

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"Hades." Regina replied, "Go to him."

"You two trust me?" she asked through her sniffles.

"Maybe, just maybe, you can change him, too." Nicholas chuckled as they all hugged each other.

Unfortunately, this tender family moment was interrupted when Nicholas' sharp hearing picked up the sound of a horn blowing in the woods.

"I know that horn." he said softly, "Boromir! Something's wrong. I think the others are in danger."

"Let's find out." Regina nodded as they all headed outside.

Continuing to blow his horn from Gondor, a memento that appeared with his sword when he arrived down here, Boromir hustled through the woods in hopes of making it to town. He was interrupted, however, when Nicholas met up with him thanks to his sound-breaking super-speed.

"Boromir, what happened?" he asked.

"That infernal deputy of mine and some seductress with powers similar to yours posed as David and kidnapped Robin, Emma and the baby." Boromir explained.

"Lust?" Nicholas asked as his temper grew, "You ran into Lust?"

"That's what she called herself, yes." he nodded, "Robin said she was a, uh, a-a Homoclus."

"Homunculus, yes." Nicholas corrected, "Where are they?"

"I believe I heard Robin trick James into taking them to the pier. They're going to toss them into the River of Lost souls." he warned.

"Not if we can stop them." Regina denied as they caught up. Waving her hand, she transported them all back into town. As they hurried back, David had broken out of jail to confront his deceased twin by clocking him in the jaw before he could throw Emma and Robin into the river. Lust, on the other hand, simply watched with an unamused look with her arms crossed on the sidelines.

"Whoo!" James laughed as he got back to his feet, "Oh, that was quite the escape, David. Quite frankly, I didn't think you had it in you."

"The cell at the station was the last place you should've left me. You don't think I don't know how to break out of my own jail?" David asked.

"So what?" James asked, "Now you can swoop in and play the hero?"

"That's up to you, James. Neither of us wanted to go through what we did. I was angry about it, too. But that doesn't mean it has to end this way. We're family." he reasoned while James laughed, "I can help you move on. I can help you find some peace."

"Yes," James nodded, "Yes, you can. Because killing you is my unfinished business."

And so, the long awaited fist fight between the two brothers began. However, it didn't last as long as either brother thought. After exchanging several punches, David managed to get the upper hand and brought James to the ground. In his anger, the dead prince pulled out a hunting knife while David's back was turned, ready to literally stab him in the back.

"Dad, watch out!" Emma cried as James was about to finish him. But before he could get out of the way, David's eyes widened when he saw the sight before him. Having been impaled by five of Lust's spears, he was unable to move as pain racked through his body.

"Oh, James," Lust sighed in disappointment, "Even for a dead man, stabbing your opponent in the back is very unattractive."

"What are you doing?" he croaked.

"I can't have you running around going after these meddlesome pests with you annoying vendetta driving you to kill them. Especially since half of them are Sacrifices." she said with a bored tone as her fingers surged with red lighting up to his body, "However, you can still prove to be of use to me. Or to be more precise, your energy can be."

As she gave a light, evil giggle, James cried out in agony as the alchemic lightning engulfed his body. In a matter of seconds, everyone watched as the prince was absorbed into Lust's spears leaving nothing behind.

"The one good thing humans are good for." Lust smirked as she retracted her spears and wiggled them as the new source of energy gave her strength.

"Wha-what the hell are you?" David asked in fear while Lust giggled at them.

"She's annoying bitch that sound never have existed, that's what!" Nicholas shouted as he shot a bolt from Robin's crossbow at Lust's head.

"Glad you could finally join us, Flamel." she greeted as her wound healed, "And I see you decided to make this a family affair, as well. Three candidates for human sacrifice, all gathered together here, in Hell."

"We're not in Hell yet, Lust. And that's enough out of you." he growled before firing again only to see the bolt be sliced away by her spears.

"As much as I would enjoy causing you pain again, I'm not going to risk dying a second time at your hands." Lust replied as she pulled out one of the transport rocks she took from Robin from her cleavage, "Until next time, little alchemist."

Before they could stop her, she crushed the rock and made her escape. "Dammit!" Nicholas shouted before calming himself down, "Is everyone alright?"

"The baby?" David asked Robin.

"Yeah. She's fine." he nodded.

"Nicholas," Emma said hotly, "Who in the hell was that? And if you tell me that you can't answer, I'm going to kick your ass."

"I think we're getting backed into a corner here." Nicholas said to Robin who nodded, "Ugh, I never thought I'd be explaining everything in the Underworld of all places. Okay, let's all just head back to the loft and I'll explain as much as I can. Zelena, you might wanna tag along because this involves you, too."

As soon as he said this, he realized that his sister was nowhere to be seen. "Zelena?" he asked looking around.

"Zelena?" Regina called out in concern.

"Nicholas," Boromir interrupted while pointing at a nearby car, "I believe that is some sort of message for you."

Indeed, it was. Sitting on the hood of a nearby wreaked car was a single green apple. It wasn't much of a message, but Nicholas was smart enough to decipher its meaning. His sister had been taken from him he knew exactly who had done it.

"Gold." he growled as clutched the apple tightly in his hand before crushing it, "Gold!"


	65. Firebird

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, FMAB or LoTR.**

 **Enjoy!**

"I don't understand," Emma said in confusion, "Why would Gold kidnap Zelena?"

"Because of me." Hades answered as he appeared behind them.

"Why am I not surprised?" Boromir spat.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nicholas hissed.

"Oh, relax," Hades sighed, "I didn't come here to hurt you. I came for your…wow, this is hard…help."

"And why should we help you of all people?" David asked.

"Simple. I'm the only one down here that give you people what you want; the way out." he replied hotly, "If you help me save Zelena from Rumplestiltskin and his boyish father, I'll take your names off your tombstones."

"And?" Nicholas trailed.

"And the mural wall." Hades sighed in annoyance, "All 536328."

"Wait, Pan's helping Gold?" Emma asked, "Why?"

"My guess would be that he wants out of here like the rest of us." Boromir replied.

"What I wanna know is why Gold's doing this in the first place." Nicholas said glaring at the god, "What have you got on him?"

"Nothing much." Hades shrugged, "Except a contract saying that he owes me his and Belle's unborn child."

"Then tear it up." Regina snapped, "I just got my sister back. I'm not going to lose her now."

"Neither will I. I'll give them what they want, but I know the Stiltskins and their tricks. They're not going to keep their word." Hades warned.

"Oh, what gave you that impression?" Nicholas asked sarcastically in frustration.

"Not unless I have an ace up my sleeve." Hades finished.

"Luckily for you, you've got one." Regina replied.

"I'm sorry, you've been Zelena's doting sister for all of what, three hours?" Hades asked, "No. And if you don't help me, I'll send Lusty back to cause you some more trouble."

"Go ahead." Nicholas challenged, "Send the bitch back. I killed her before, and can easily do it again. Only next time, she's not staying down here. She's going through the gate like she should have done the first time around."

"Gate?" Regina asked, "What gate?"

"Not important." Nicholas replied not taking his eyes off of Hades, "You don't want her down here anymore than I do. She's not a human, she doesn't belong down here with the rest of these people. You're not as clever or smooth as you may think, Hades. You want me to get rid of her for you. Admit it."

Matching the alchemist's glare with his own, Hades stood his ground before giving out a tired sigh. "Fine." he admitted, "You're right. I want that filthy creature out of my Underworld. I may hate this place as much as everyone else, but no one undermines my authority by making a meal out of my subjects. Get rid of the Homunculus and help me get back Zelena, and then I'll let you all leave."

"Another condition to this deal. You're pushing your luck." Nicholas warned.

"Need I remind you that no one else can set you free?" he asked, "If you want to get out of here before your little friend upstairs starts causing trouble, and yes, I do know about that, then I suggest you agree to my terms. So what do you say, Immortal Alchemist? Do you want to send your family home or not?"

 **OUaT**

Many years ago, in the land of Middle Earth, the Fellowship of the Ring journeyed silently through the mines of Moria as they continued their venture to Mordor. When they first heard Gimli's praise for the mighty dwarven kingdom, they had expected to see hundreds of dwarves hard at work in search of riches in the caverns. However, they were instead greeted by corpses of dwarves, many of which were impaled by goblin and orc arrows and with the way they came in being sealed off, they had no choice but to face the dangers waiting for them in the darkness of the mine.

They spoke as little and softly as possible so as not to give the enemy notice of their presence and the only light they used was that which shined from Gandalf's staff as he led the way. Everyone's guard was up for they knew, at any moment, something could jump out and attack them. Unfortunately, given the smell of decay, dust and metal, Flamel was unable to properly smell out any nearby adversaries. As for Mina, who had the ability to see, smell and hear at great distances by using the senses of other creatures, she too was unable to tell if anyone else was nearby.

"The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels but in white Mithril." Gandalf said educating those who did not know this as they journeyed through the caverns.

" _White_ Mithril?" Flamel asked, "As opposed to some other color?"

"Yes," the wizard chuckled, "Legends tell of a second sort of Mithril found in other realms beyond Middle Earth. It is called, as I recall, black Mithril."

"What's the difference?" Pippin asked.

"Well, white Mithril is quite possibly the strongest and sturdiest of metals in all of Middle Earth." Gandalf explained, "In fact, Bilbo had a chain shirt of white Mithril that was given to him by Thorin."

"Ooh!" Gimli gasped, "That was a kingly gift!"

"Yes," Gandalf chuckled, "I never told him, but its worth was greater than that of the Shire. Ahem, as for black Mithril, while it may be no sturdier than elven armor, it has a rather unique quality unlike any other metal. It is capable of nullifying any sort of magic that attempts to reach its proximity. Most people will forge it into chest guards, or neck braces to prevent dark magic users from tearing out their hearts or breaking their necks."

Giving a very impressed whistle, Flamel nodded in approval at those useful armor pieces. "Now I could use some of those."

Upon making it through the tunnels and mines for four days, they had reached the dwarven city that would lead to the way out.

"Let me risk a little more light." Gandalf said as he shined his light even brighter, "Behold, the great realm and dwarf city of Dwelodaf."

"Now there's an eye opener, make no mistake." Sam said as they all looked at the city in awe. As they made their way through empty stone city, Gimli spotted a light shining from a room and broke away from the group in hopes of finding any of his surviving kin.

"Gimli!" Flamel called as they chased after him. But when they caught up, they found more corpses of dwarves lying around a grave and Gimli sobbing as he saw the name of who's grave it was.

"Here lies Balin son of Fundin, lord of Moria." Gandalf read somberly over Gimli's wails, "He is dead then. It is as I feared."

"Shh," Mina gently soothed rubbing the dwarf's back, "I'm sorry, Gimli."

"Gandalf," Flamel alerted as he held up an old journal from a corpse, "Perhaps this will reveal what happened here."

"Perhaps." the wizard nodded before reading the last entry.

"We must move on." Legolas advised, "We cannot linger."

"They have taken the bridge and the second hall." Gandalf read aloud, "We have bared the gates but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming."

While Gandalf was reading the tome, Pippin decided to take a closer look at a corpse he found sitting on the edge of an old well. But the moment he touched it, its head fell down the well causing everyone to turn at look at the source of the loud noise while Pippin cringed with each clang the head made. Followed by the body, and the chains, and the iron bucket all of which echoed and rang throughout all of Moria. They waited a moment to hear for any sign of the goblins, but when they heard nothing, Gandalf took the opportunity to scold the young Hobbit.

"Fool of Took!" he snapped, "Throw yourself next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

"Um, guys." Flamel said worriedly as the sound of goblins charging towards them.

"Barricade the doors!" Nemo ordered grabbing some old axes, "Quickly!"

Following his lead, Aragorn and Boromir helped bar the door with more axes while the Hobbits gathered behind Gandalf with their swords drawn, Gimli readied his axe, Legolas his bow, Flamel his alchemy, and Mina her fangs. As the men continued to provide cover, the sounds of a ferocious roar could be heard with the goblins' cries.

"They have a cave troll." Boromir sighed in annoyance.

"Grah!" Gimli snarled, "Let them come! There's one dwarf left in Moria who still draws breath!"

"Stand back!" Flamel advised as he sealed the door with his alchemy. With each of their weapons drawn, the Fellowship stared at the door and awaited the enemy.

"How long do you think that will hold, Nicholas?" Mina asked softly.

"For goblins? Quite a while." he replied, "For a cave troll? Well…"

Her answer was given when the abominations broke through the door and tried to crawl their way in. The goblins were easy to deal with given the Fellowship's numbers and skills. It was the cave troll, however, that proved to be nuisance; even for the League agents. They all struggled to bring it down after killing the goblins, but when they saw that the beast had stabbed Frodo, their rage fueled their attacks even more which brought an end to the troll.

"Frodo!" Sam shouted as they all went to help their friend. But when they did, they found the little ring-bearer to be breathing. "He's alive!"

"I'm alright." Frodo panted, "I'm not hurt."

"But how?" Mina asked, "A spear like that would skewer a wild boar."

"I think there's more to this Hobbit than meets the eye." Gandalf smirked as everyone took notice of a white chainmail shirt under Frodo's clothes.

"White Mithril." Gimli gasped, "You're full of surprises, Master Baggins."

But their joy was cut short by the sound of more goblins closing in. With no other option, Gandalf nodded to them all before quickly ordering them, "To the bridge of Khazad-Dum."

They all ran as fast as their legs could carry them with their weapons still drawn while goblins spawned from every crack, hall and hole in the mine towards them. True, they weren't the strongest of dark creatures, but given that they were surrounded by a small army of the pests, the Fellowship knew it would be difficult. But just as the fighting was about to begin, drums could be heard. Drums so loud and booming that the goblins fled the way they came leaving their prey behind.

At first, Gimli was actually laughing at the fleeing goblins, but his laughter quickly stopped when he and the rest of his companions saw that the great hall on the other side was glowing red with fire.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir softly asked Gandalf who looked like he was trying to control his fear while a roar that sounded like metal tearing through stone could be heard.

"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world." the wizard answered as fear consumed them all, "This foe is beyond any of you. Run!"

Not wanting to argue with the old man, everyone did as he said and ran faster than they thought they could ever run with terror fueling their legs. Behind them, Flamel could see that the light of fire was only growing as the dreaded Balrog drew near.

"What the hell is a Balrog?!" he asked as they ran.

"A massive demon of fire and shadow made by Morgoth; the fallen god who taught Sauron the dark arts in the first age of this world!" Nemo shouted.

"So how do we kill it?!" Mina asked.

"We don't!" Nemo replied, "We just keep running!"

"You know?" Flamel asked over the Balrog's roar, "I think this might be the one time I'm okay with running away from a fight!"

As they continued to run, the bridge leading to the only way out was in sight. But unfortunately, the goblins returned and began to fire their arrows while they made their escape. Legolas was able to take care of them with his own arrows, but it only delayed them and gave the Balrog the chance to get closer.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf shouted as the others ran. As he did, the Balrog came up behind him and roared in his face before the old wizard ran with the others. When they were able to cross the stone bridge over the seemingly bottomless chasm, Gandalf stopped to face the demon with his sword and staff.

"You cannot pass!" he shouted.

"Gandalf!" Frodo cried out as the Balrog readied for its next meal.

"I am the servant of the secret fire. Wielder of the Flame of Arnor." Gandalf said to the beast while creating a shield of magic, "The dark fire will not avail you, Flame of Udun!"

Creating a giant sword of fire, the Balrog struck the shield thus destroying its weapon making it all the more angry.

"Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf ordered. But the Balrog only flared its nostrils at him, took one powerful step forward and unfurled a whip of fire so long, it nearly struck the entire cavern. "You shall not pass!"

With a might slam of his staff, Gandalf struck the bridge and stared down the flaming beast with no fear in his eyes. But the Balrog was not impressed. It accepted the wizard's challenge and stepped forward only to feel the bridge collapse and crumble underneath it. Satisfied, Gandalf turned to join the others, but he was stopped by the Balrog's whip causing him to hang on to the ledge for dear life.

"No, no!" Boromir cried as he grabbed Frodo before he could reach the wizard.

"Gandalf!" the Hobbit cried. But it was too late, the old man's strength was not great enough to pull himself up. Knowing it was the end, it gave one last order to the Fellowship before falling into the chasm with the Balrog.

"Fly, you fools."

Frodo's cries rang louder through the mind than anything else that day. Everyone had to overcome their shock at the loss of the great wizard in order to flee the remaining goblins. After running out of Moria's main entrance, they finally stopped. It could have been because the Hobbits were too heartbroken to carry on as their tears blinded them, or perhaps Gimli was trying to run back inside to unleash his anger and grief on the goblins, or even because Flamel had to take off his red coat to shield Mina from the sun. No one knew for sure. All they knew was that they had lost someone dear to them so early in their journey.

"Legolas, get them up." Aragorn ordered as he picked up the Hobbits.

"Give a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir choked in sympathy.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" Aragorn warned, "We much reach the woods of Lothlorien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, Flamel, get them up!"

"Frodo?" Flamel asked looking for the young Hobbit only to see wander ahead, "Frodo!"

Hearing his immortal companion's call, Frodo turned to them and let them all see his heartbroken face and the single tear roll down his red face.

 **OUaT**

Inside the loft, Nicholas stared out the window in anger while the others thought over their plans of attack. "He's not making this easy for us." Nicholas said gritting his teeth, "First it was rescue Zelena from Gold and his father, now he wants us to get rid of Lust, too. Is anyone unsure of the merit of his word?"

"What choice do we have?" Regina asked, "It's clear that he won't take our names off unless we do as he says. Rescuing Zelena was going to happen without Hades' deal, so it's no big deal."

"Yeah, but killing a Homunculus ain't no picnic either, sis." he retorted, "Especially since I don't have my flame alchemy gloves down here."

"And that we have no idea where she might be." Boromir added.

"Yeah. That, too." Nicholas said flatly.

"How did you kill her the first time?" Emma asked, "I thought the Philosopher's Stone made anyone who has one immortal?"

"A perfected Stone will." Nicholas replied, "Lust's, however, is an imperfect Philosopher's Stone. Unlike mine, hers doesn't continuously recycle the energy of the souls powering it. Once the energy is spent, that's it, the Stone and Lust become dust in the wind. The only problem is, last time I had my gloves, crates full of grenades and a bunch of bullets. None of which I have down here, so killing her is going to take a little while longer this time."

"Wouldn't she have the same weakness to magic that you do?" David asked.

"Yeah, she does." he nodded, "But it would take a lot of magic to do enough damage to her. Not to mention, she would still be able impale anybody who would be using the magic. No, it's for the best if I take her on alone."

"I can help." Boromir offered, "It's not like she can kill me."

"Maybe not, old friend. But she can still do to you what she did to your former deputy." Nicholas reminded, "You guys rescue Zelena and I'll finish off Lust."

"Never thought I'd willingly help the woman who tricked me into getting her pregnant." Robin muttered bluntly.

"Agh, please don't remind me that you slept with her." Nicholas groaned, "It's bad enough you did it with one of my sisters, but both?"

"Okay! Moving on." Regina said as she blushed.

"I still don't trust him." Emma whispered to her father while looking at Boromir.

"Neither do I, but we need all the help we can get if we want to get out of here and go home." David whispered back.

Going their separate ways, Nicholas began his search for the lady Homunculus while the others joined up with Hades to get back Zelena. It didn't take too long for him to find out where she had run off to. In fact, it was the first place he guessed where she might be; the mansion. Letting himself in, the alchemist found his target standing in the entryway waiting for him.

"I was beginning to think you would never figure out where I was staying." Lust taunted.

"You're not welcome in this mansion." Nicholas warned pointing his finger as he approached her.

"Please," she scoffed, "It's not even the real thing. Why bother getting all flustered about it?"

"This place is for deceased League members with unfinished business, and them alone. A filthy Homunculus like you has no place being here disrespecting it."

"Typical humans." she sighed, "Always squabbling over what belongs to who. You spend entire lifetimes arguing with each other about such things only to lose it all when you die. What could possibly be the point in making such a fuss over a few measly possessions?"

"It's not the possessions we fight for." Nicholas retorted, "True, humans are greedy, selfish creatures. However, when something important to us is on the line, we will do whatever it takes to ensure no harm comes to it. I guess you can say that it's a matter of pride."

"And I'm sure my brother would understand that better than I would." Lust chuckled, "All I can understand about humans is their desires and need for pleasure. James managed to prove my point every time he looked at me let alone when we would fool around."

"And that's just the kind of ignorance that makes you Homunculi so naïve to the way humans are." Nicholas remarked causing Lust to narrow her eyes at him.

"What?" she growled.

"All you see humans as are sources of energy and grasp only the basics of what makes them who they are. It baffles me how a creature whose entire existence relies on the souls of humans could be so clueless as to what humans truly are. I guess you're more like your father than I gave you credit last time."

Not even giving a word of warning, Lust shot five of her spears at the disappointed alchemist who easily stopped them by making a wall erupt from the floor in front of him.

"Let's get this over with." he sighed while reading his own Ultimate Spear, "My sister's life is on the line and I would very much like to go home by the end of today."

Elsewhere, Hades was closing the blinds of the empty diner while Emma was waiting by the back door to give him a hand if need be. "Show yourself." he ordered. In two clouds of red smoke, the father and son appeared with Zelena in Pan's grip with a magic cuff on her wrist.

"Glad to see you followed instructions and came alone." Pan said.

"Zelena." Hades said softly.

"I tried to stop them, but," she said showing the cuff.

"It's not your fault, it's theirs."

"Oh, is that so?" Gold asked, "Because we wouldn't be here if you'd ripped up that contract when I asked you to."

"You didn't have leverage." Hades reminded as he brought up the parchment.

"And now I do." he smirked, "So, you stand there and don't move except to rip up that contract. Then you get the witch."

Still glaring at them, Hades tore the piece of paper in half and tossed it aside while the Dark One smirked at his obedience.

"There. Now give her back." Hades demanded.

"Oh, you can have her back." Gold replied.

"But we didn't say anything about her hear, did we?" Pan asked, "You see, my body is ready to walk the earth again. Except for one thing. A living heart. So, if you don't mind."

"My heart has a protection spell on it." Zelena warned.

"You may be good at magic, but we're better." Pan smirked ready to tear out the organ. Just as he was about to, Emma stepped in and blasted the boy with her magic.

"You sure about that?" she asked.

"I was beginning to think you couldn't get in." Hades remarked.

"Locks don't bother me much." Emma retorted, "He ripped up the contract like you wanted, so leave."

"Since when does the Savior answer to the king of death?" Pan asked.

"Since he's the one getting my family home." she snapped.

"You picked the wrong team to back, Ms. Swan." Gold lectured, "You won't get what you want from him."

"Really?" she asked, "Because you just did, which is making me wonder why you're still here."

"…Yeah, I suppose you have a point." he grinned before poofing away without his father.

"Rumple?" Pan asked feeling betrayed.

"Looks like your little boy only came for what he wanted." Zelena mocked.

"I don't think you're gonna be that lucky." Emma warned before Pan poofed away.

"Zelena." Hades said rushing up to see if she was alright and removing the cuff, "Are you alright?"

"You tore up that contract for me." she said gazing into his eyes, "I didn't think you'd do it."

"When will you believe I'd do anything for you?" he asked as she placed a hand on his chest.

"I think I'm getting there." she said softly before pulling him for a kiss. As soon as their lips met, a wave of magic erupted from them as the god's heart started beating furiously. "Is that?"

"My heart." Hades gasped, "It's beating."

As they kissed again, the entire Underworld shook for a second. "What the hell was that?" Emma asked.

"My banishment." Hades realized, "It's over. I can finally leave this place for good. Very soon, at the cemetery, there will be a fully formed portal back to Storybrooke, but it will close at sunset."

"First things first." Emma interrupted, "We wait for Nicholas. I came all this way to bring him back, and I am not letting anyone leave until he gets back and our names are off those tombstones. We're going home through that portal, too. All of us."

"What was that?" Lust asked as her fight with Nicholas paused for a moment.

"Ew," he cringed, "That sadistic creep just kissed my sister, didn't he? Well, Lusty, old girl, looks like you have no possible way to get leverage over Hades now."

"I guess that means you no longer have any reason to continue this fight, then?" she asked.

"Not quite." he flatly replied before pulling out a gun and shooting her in the head, "Bet you didn't realize your boy toy dropped this earlier, did you? See, aside from the countless personal reasons I have for fighting you, mostly hatred towards your kind thanks to your despicable father, you went and did something rather stupid today. Do you know what that was? You threatened the safety of my precious, little niece. And for that, your second death is going to be even more painful than the first one."

Using his shadows this time, Nicholas had them attack Lust like wild dogs, biting and tearing off her limbs. "Here's another idiotic mistake you made!" he shouted viciously over her pain filled screams, "Did you honestly think I just popped down here right into Hades' torture chambers? No, I showed up here first. And I know for a fact, that this place is the exact same as the one up top! Activate security sequence 5, 8, 9, 3, 3! Access code: 4, 8, 0, 2, 6, 1, 0, 9!"

"Access Code: Accepted. Security Defense Sequence Request: Acknowledged." the computer replied as Nicholas stopped his attack. Coming from two openings in the ceiling, two, large Gatling guns drop right above his head as he crossed his arms and began to fire at the artificial human. They didn't have as many bullets as Nicholas would have liked, but they certainly did one hell of a job on Lust who was in a world of pain.

As she healed herself, Lust was too slow to stop Nicholas as he ran up to deliver a powerful blow to her face with his knee. Practically snarling as he did it, he grabbed her by the head, twisted it until her neck broke, wrapped his legs around her waist as they fell to the ground and began to pull.

"The next time you abominations wanna try to wipe out humanity for your own selfish gain," Nicholas shouted as he tore her head off, "Maybe don't take on someone who's already kicked your ass!"

"You bastard!" Lust cried as her head slowly grew back while she impaled him with all of her spears. But Nicholas was once again able to prove he was the better fighter by grabbing her arms and using his alchemy to obliterate them.

"Get it over with." she panted, "Kill me again. I'll just stay down here even longer. If you want to be rid of me, you're gonna have to toss me into the river."

"And give access to an unlimited source of souls to fuel your Philosopher's Stone?" he asked as they healed before grabbing her by her dress, "No. You wanna know what your death is gonna be like this time? I'll tell you this, it ain't gonna be a wet one!"

Pulling out a transport rock, he crushed it and threw the dust at their feet taking down below the town the fiery chasm. Snarling in her face, Nicholas used all his strength to toss Lust over the bridge and into the fires below.

"You damn human!" she cried out as the flames engulfed her. Staring down the ledge with eyes that would frighten even Hades, Nicholas spat at where the Homunculus fell in disgust.

"Filthy Homunculus." he spat before transmuting himself back to the surface. At the cemetery, the others found themselves staring at the fallen clock tower as its hands began to turn faster and faster with each passing moment.

"How'd it get here?" David asked.

"The hands are moving. Is that a good sign or a bad one?" Emma asked.

"It's a great one if you want to leave." Hades replied, "When those hands spin fast enough in just a few minutes, it'll turn into an open portal back."

"Which we can't go through because of those." Nicholas said pointing to the graves and mural as he transmuted himself back, "So, get on with it."

"First things first. The Homunculus?" Hades asked.

"Dead." he replied flatly, "Again. Thanks to me. So now that I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, take our names off, now."

"Of course." the god smirked as he waved his hand and removed the names, "A deal's deal. Your friends and the souls in that rock of yours are no longer tied to this realm."

"I told you love could change him." Zelena said to Regina happily.

"Happy now?" he asked.

"Not quite." Nicholas replied before head-butting Hades' nose, "That was for my parents."

"And the only shot I'll allow you to take." he groaned while clutching his nose for a moment.

"Good thing for you." the alchemist remarked, "You'd have hated to feel what I planned on doing to you on my behalf. Wait a minute, where's Boromir?"

"Don't worry about him, the portal's about to open." Emma reminded.

"But-but, I wanted to say goodbye and thank him." Nicholas said looking hurt while the others looked downcast, "Guys, what's going on?"

"We…told him it would probably be best if he went back to the sheriff's station after Hades' heart started beating." David answered.

"What?" he asked in shock, "Why would you do that if you knew we were going to be leaving? Guys, Boromir has done nothing but help us this whole time."

"Mate, I think they may have gotten the wrong idea about your friend's story." Robin suggested.

"We weren't sure if we could trust him." Emma replied looking guilty, "We thought he was gonna pull a fast one on us and-"

"And what?" Nicholas asked, "What could possible make you think Boromir would betray us? He's been nothing but a good friend who put his soul on the line."

"Well, after what he did to Frodo, who could blame us?" Regina scoffed, "The man doesn't have the best track record in staying true to his word."

"Frodo?" he asked baffled, "What are you talking about?! Boromir never did anything to Frodo. Oh, my god! You guys are going off of those damn books and movies, aren't you?"

"Apparently." Hades scoffed as the portal opened behind them, "That's our way out. You've got about an hour before it closes. If you plan on saying your goodbyes to the sheriff, I'd do it quickly."

"He's right. Nicholas, let's go." Emma said pulling his arm only to watch him pull back.

"No." he said shaking his head, "I'm not leaving without saying goodbye to Boromir."

"Nicholas, the portal's open." Regina stressed, "We can finally leave."

"And we have an hour until it closes." he snapped with a slight glare, "Which is plenty of time for me to head into town and say goodbye. Look, you guys may think you know what happened back in Middle Earth, but you don't. He's down here because of me, and last time, I didn't get to say goodbye or even how sorry I was. I'm not passing that up a second time."

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked, "What happened between you two?"

"Between us? Nothing." he replied, "It has nothing to do what he did. It has to do with what I did to Frodo after Lothlorien."

 **OUaT**

Over a week following what happened in Moria, the Fellowship managed to arrive in Lothlorien and were taken in as guests of the Lady Galadriel. They stayed for several days to recover their strength and refresh their supplies for the journey ahead. The morning they departed from the elven kingdom, Galadriel presented each of them with an enchanted cloak to help shield them from dangerous eyes as well as a unique gift that best suited them. For many hours, they rowed down the great river from the Golden Wood while a pack of orcs trailed them. Once they reached the end of the river and its mighty waterfall, they made camp along shore.

"Hide the boats and cover our tracks. From here, we make our way into Mordor." Aragorn instructed.

"Oh, yes?" Gimli asked knowing what they would face ahead, "It's just a simple task of maneuvering through an impossible labyrinth of razor sharp rocks, and after that it gets even better! Festering, stinking marshlands as far as the eye can see."

"That is our road." Aragorn said dryly at the dwarf's attitude, "I suggest you rest to recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

"Recover my-oh!" he grumbled while Sam, Merry and Pippin prepared some food, "Pay no heed to him, young Hobbits."

"Well, Gimli, you certainly painted a lovely mental picture for us which I dare say, we all look forward to comparing to the real things once we get there." Mina dryly remarked under her new, elven hood.

"Where's Frodo?" Sam asked looking for his friend.

"He and Nicholas went to gather more firewood for supper." Nemo replied as he sharpened his sword.

"I'll go find them." Boromir grunted as he rose from his seat, "We mustn't linger here too long."

Not far into the woods, Flamel stared intently at the young Hobbit while they gathered branches. "You know, Frodo? For a long time, I've looked up to your guardian, Bilbo and the deeds he accomplished when he helped found the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." he said breaking the ice, "To think that he managed to do all that and still carry around the same ring you have around your neck. Funny how an instrument of evil has been used for so much good, isn't it?"

"Yes." Frodo nodded looking feared while clutching the ring under his shirt, "Bilbo was lucky not to have fallen to the ring's influence during those times."

"I don't know about you, but it's made me wonder if _we_ simply can't use the ring for good ourselves?" Flamel pondered suspiciously.

"I know what you would ask," Frodo cut off, "And to you, it would seem like reason instead of madness."

"Madness?" he asked dropping the wood and stepping towards the Halfling who backed away, "What madness is that? We're all afraid, Frodo. That ring is a burden on you. I can see it wear you down day by day; we all do. One so small, such as you, should not have to carry such a great burden as that. You've earned my deepest respect in taking this burden, Frodo Baggins, but you don't have to carry it any further if you wish."

"I swore an oath to destroy the ring, Nicholas." Frodo reminded, "I plan to see this through to the end."

"We all do." Flamel nodded, "We all want to see Sauron defeated. But, Frodo, you and your kinsmen are not like the rest of us. Brave, yes, you all are very brave for facing such dangers and not wavering in your quest. But warriors? Fighters? No. You may have stared down a cave troll and survived the Nazgul, Frodo, but you Hobbits are not nearly ready to face the forces waiting in Mordor. You rely on us too heavily. All you need to do is give the ring to me, and I can take you and your friends back to the Shire where Sauron can never hurt you. Just-just give me the ring, and all this can end for you."

"No." Frodo whispered shaking his head with betrayal in his eyes as he walked back towards the camp. However, that was not the answer Flamel was wanting to hear.

"Fool!" he spat marching towards him and pushing him to the ground to take the ring, "That power doesn't belong with the likes of you. It could have been mine. It should be mine; give it to me!"

"No!" Frodo cried struggling.

"Give it to me!" Flamel shouted. But amidst the struggling, Frodo managed to put on the ring and vanished after shoving Flamel off. "You think you're the first person to turn invisible on me and run? Guess again. Give me the ring, Frodo. Don't make me kill you!"

"Perhaps we should have sent one of the others in your place." Nemo said with his sword at his friend's throat while Mina had her daggers out on the other side.

"Oh, Nicholas." she sighed feeling sorry for the young agent, "Not you."

"Come on, don't tell me you guys haven't been wanting to rip that thing off his neck since we started this damn journey." Flamel said raising his hands in surrender while trying to scope out the Hobbit.

"Perhaps," Nemo replied coolly, "But we pushed those feelings aside because we knew that we have a job to do; and so do you."

"Don't do this, Nicholas." Mina pleaded, "Please."

"I'm sorry, Mina." he whispered before growling with feral eyes, "But I want it!"

By making two extra arms sprout from his torso, Flamel was able to knock the wind out of his teammates before taking off in search of Frodo.

"Where is that damn Halfling?" he growled as he stomped through the woods. Picking up Frodo's scent, Flamel followed it deeper into the woods with his desire to take the ring clouding his judgement. But as he was pursuing his friend, he was tackled by a swarm of bats that tried to bite and claw his face before a burst of alchemy shook them off. Taking cover in the trees' shade, Mina returned to her human form from the bat swarm and glared at him under her hood.

"Nicholas, you're not thinking straight." she tried to reason, "Frodo is our friend. We want him to destroy the ring. That's what the director sent us here for, remember?"

"I know all that, Mina." he replied madly, "I don't know why I'm doing this. I just want the ring so badly. Do you really think it's wise to fight me like this? You may be able to withstand sunlight longer than most vampires, but even you can't take the heat for long."

"I don't want to fight you," she said as her eyes slowly turned red and her canines extended, "But I will if I must to protect the Hobbit."

"Then you had better hope that hood of yours stays on tight." he challenged as he hardened his shield and she lunged at him with terrifying snarl.

"Wonderful," Nemo sighed as he ran towards them, "Now they're fighting each other."

"Nemo!" Boromir hollered as he joined up with the captain, "What's going on? Where is Frodo?"

"Nicholas tried to take the ring from him. I don't know where Frodo is, but Nicholas and Mina are in the middle of fighting each other."

Before they could properly react, one of the two agents managed to knock over a large tree causing a loud impact sound to ring through the hills. Unfortunately, this gained the attention of the very same orc pack that had been trailing them since Lothlorien.

"Now, what?" Mina asked as she and Flamel halted their fight once they heard the orcs, "How wonderful. Your head cleared yet?"

"It's getting there." Flamel nodded as he drew his sword once the orcs charged towards them, "Finish this up another time?"

"Gladly. But first," she said before punching an orc in the face so hard, it's neck broke, "Let's give these boys a proper LXG greeting."

"With pleasure." he agreed as they began to fight the orcs. As they took down orc after orc, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas fought their way towards them to back them up while Nemo assisted Boromir defend the Hobbits.

"Run!" Boromir shouted to Merry and Pippin, "Run!"

"Come on!" Nemo roared as he slashed through their armor with ease. While Boromir was holding his own against the others, a leading orc drew back one of his black arrows and aimed directly at the man's chest.

"Boromir, look out!" Nemo cried once he saw the arrow fly. But the steward's son was not fast enough. The arrow lodged itself directly above his heart and caused him to fall to his knees.

"No!" Flamel cried as he ran over to them with Aragorn following. As he did, Boromir used what strength he had left to continue to kill more orcs while defending Merry and Pippin and while more arrows found their way into his flesh.

Wanting to make sure that their friend's sacrifice was not in vain, the two Hobbits raised their swords and cried out as they charged the monstrosities only to be hauled away. In its arrogance, the archer stood before Boromir with one final arrow drawn. However, Nemo and Flamel were not about to let the filthy orc get one last shot at their friend.

Flamel simply tackled the beast before rolling to his feet with his sword drawn while Nemo, with expertise, spun and sliced away at its armor before being punched in the face; even though it did little more than anger the agent. Flamel took the chance to stab the orc with his sword and head-butt it before Nemo sliced off its right arm. Knowing what to do next, both agents, one on each side of the pain filled orc, they lunged forward as they threw their swords forward and grabbed the others' and pulled it back, tearing through the orcs body just before Aragorn came charging in and beheading the beast.

Mina and the others were able to join up with them, but by the time they did, Boromir's life had slipped away after dying in Aragorn's arms. All of them bowed their heads in silence and respect for their comrade, but Flamel mostly bowed his in shame. If not for his actions, the orcs may never have known where to find them and his friend might still be alive.

 **OUaT**

While Boromir was sitting at his old desk with a glass of scotch in his hand, Nicholas barged in looking for him. "Ah, you made it back. Good." he said raising his glass to his friend.

"What the hell, Boromir?" Nicholas asked, "Were you seriously just going to sit here and drink scotch while the rest of us went back to Storybrooke?"

"Seems like your friends wanted it that way." he shrugged as he smelled his drink, "I guess you never told them what really happened at Amon-Hen, did you?"

"Well," the alchemist trailed looking towards the window while scratching behind his ear, "I did kind of tell one of them what happened between me and Frodo a while back."

"Nicholas, if you're concerned about me being angry with you for how I died, I already told Robin, I don't blame you." Boromir reassured.

"No, I know. I just came to say goodbye and give you my thanks." Nicholas replied, "But now that you mention it, I do have a question for you."

"You wish to know why I am still down here." he stated while finishing off his glass.

"It can't be because of the ring. Frodo destroyed it decades ago. I know that you know this." Nicholas pointed out, "Is it because of your brother?"

"No. No, it's not because of Faramir." he replied while freshening his drink.

"Then what the hell are you still doing here, man?!" Nicholas snapped, "I mean, why stay here? This place sucks! Alright, enough beating around the bush. Just what the hell is your unfinished business?"

"It _was_ not knowing what happened to the ring." Boromir replied dryly, "When I first arrived, I already knew that my unfinished business was not knowing the fate of the One Ring. When I finally heard word of Sauron's destruction, I knew my time here was finished."

"So why didn't you move on?" he asked. The deceased sheriff did not reply. "Boromir, I've got less than an hour before my ride home takes off. I can either stand here, tired of asking you questions while you just sit there and drink, or you can give me an answer and get some closure before I go; your choice."

"Fine." he huffed, "While you may have been the one who attacked Frodo and tried to kill him to take the ring, I did it a bit more discreetly."

"Say what?" Nicholas asked.

"There were times when I would try to take the ring from Frodo while he was sleeping on our journey." Boromir admitted sheepishly, "If Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Mina hadn't kept such a close eye on me when they would take watch, I probably would have succeeded; but then again, I would have had to have dealt with the wrath of one Samwise Gamgee if I did."

"Yeah," Nicholas chuckled, "Sam always was very protective of Frodo."

"That's why I haven't allowed myself to move on."

"You feel guilty about what you did. Or rather, what you wanted to do." Nicholas nodded finally understanding, "Man, you can't beat yourself up over something you didn't even do for all eternity. Hell, I nearly killed Frodo and he forgave me; and I've forgiven myself."

"You're used to such work, my friend. Oh, no offense." Boromir replied.

"None taken." he shrugged, "Trust me, what I did to Frodo was definitely not the worst thing I've done in my line of work; and it certainly won't be in the future, either."

"Now that, I can believe." he chuckled taking another drink.

"Boromir, you're a good friend." Nicholas said sincerely, "You put your very existence on the line for me, helped my friends, my family and the woman I love simply because it was the right thing to do. Out of all the souls down here, you deserve to move on more than anyone."

As he made his way to the door, Nicholas stopped one last time and spoke to his friend and deceased comrade again. "And if it makes you feel any better, Frodo fell to the ring's temptation, too. He almost left Sam in Mordor because of it."

Not knowing this, Boromir's eyes widened as he watched his immortal friend leave the station. With a deep sigh, the sheriff stirred his scotch and mulled over his thoughts while shaking his head before taking another big drink.

Outside the station and along the docks, Nicholas stared down at the cursed waters and took a deep breath as he remembered both Red and his mother's words. Pulling the sleeves of his pants up, he kneeled down and undid the ratty, old sandal straps around his legs and held them tight in his grip.

"No more." he whispered before throwing them both into the river and walking away, "I am no longer slave number 23; nor am I Abba. I am an agent of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I am the Immortal Alchemist. I _am_ Nicholas Flamel."

After transmuting himself back to the cemetery, Nicholas found everyone there except Hades, Zelena and the baby. "Where's Zelena and the baby?" he asked them.

"They went on ahead while we helped some last minute people move on." Robin replied as the portal began to close.

"And Rumple and Belle?"

"Made it out just before we got here." he assured, "Now, everyone, get through. Hurry!"

"Nicholas!" Emma urged as the others jumped through, "Nicky, come on!"

"Goodbye, you red skied hellhole." he said to the Underworld in distaste before jumping through with Emma just before the portal closed behind them.

Feeling the portal close, even down below the town, Boromir sighed in content as he stood before the stone bridge leading to his fate. Once he reached the ledge, the two sides joined together and opened up the warmth of the light. On the other side, he could hear the sounds of familiar laughter, laughter he had only heard during his time in the Fellowship. Knowing that was where he belonged, Boromir embraced the light and moved on from the Underworld.

But as soon as the bridge disappeared after the light was gone, a scorched claw dug itself into ledge and pulled its owner up from the fire. Panting in pain while she healed, Lust picked herself up with a look of pure rage and headed back into town, ready to feast on whatever poor, unfortunate soul that she could find.

 **Uh-oh! Lust managed to survive this time. I wonder what that might entail for the upcoming struggles the heroes will face?**

 **This is more than likely going to be the last time I include flashbacks regarding Middle Earth. As much as I love those movies (extended versions only) I'm not going to include anything beyond a few mentionings about Bilbo being one of the League's founders.**

 **Also, I don't think I ever made this clear in my earlier chapters, plus, I'm too lazy to search through over forty chapters to see if I did, but I just want to make something clear regarding Nicholas' real name.**

 **The name Abba is pronounced the same way people say father in Hebrew. I know it's not really a big deal, but I've been meaning to clear the air on that for months and I finally just remembered this now.**

 **Anyway, as always, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to your feedback for it gives me motivation to write more and more before I go back to school.**

 **Oh, and one last thing. A Fanfic author by the alias of "Death Legion" is going to be coming out with a OUaT story with his own version of Nicholas Flamel, too. I'm not giving any spoilers, but I just want you guys to know that he's already run this by me and I have no problem with him doing this. I just wanted to make this clear because the last time someone was inspired by a story of mine, he/she butchered it and things got ugly on several levels. So, if you're interested, be on the look out for it like I am.**

 **So, until next time, thanks for reading and stay tuned for more!**


	66. Last Rites

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

Taking in his newly restored freedom, Hades chuckled while breathing in the moist air of Storybrooke at the toll bridge with Regina and the baby. "The land of the living. I never thought I would see this world again; not with a beating heart. And I owe it all to you." he said happily to Zelena, "I'm finally becoming myself again."

"I'm so glad." she giggled even though Hades could tell that something was wrong.

"Something's troubling you." he stated.

"It's my brother and sister. They're still not here." she said in concern.

"I wouldn't worry." Hades assured, "I'm sure they made it back safe."

"Then why are we still in the woods?" she asked, "We should go back into town and check."

"I can't. Snow White still thinks I'm a villain. These people are always looking for villains to blame." he warned.

"I'll tell them you've changed," Zelena promised smiling, "That love changed you."

"It certainly did." he nodded as she began to walk away only to see her stop.

"But…in case they don't believe me, would-would you mind taking the baby?" she asked as she passed her to him, "Just take her to my sister's office. You'll be safe there."

"What, you-you would trust me with your daughter?" he asked feeling touched.

"I trust you with anything." she replied still smiling as she left him alone. But just a few moments after she left, Hades found himself in the company of Camelot's deranged king after having run towards him and slip on the soaked bridge with his hands cuffed.

"Hello there." Hades greeted nonchalantly.

"Don't let the shackles fool you. I'm King Arthur of Camelot. I was unjustly imprisoned." Arthur explained desperately before Hades helped him up.

"Unjustly imprisoned. That, I understand." he nodded, "But tell me, what happened to land you in such an awful predicament?"

"I was destined to rule a kingdom, a broken kingdom. But not everybody is as understanding as you." Arthur huffed.

"Well, that I understand as well. I, too, was destined to rule a kingdom."

"Who are you?" he asked becoming intimidated.

"My name is Hades; god of death." Hades replied sending chills down the king's spine while the baby began to cry as he bounced her, "And I think I was destined to rule this very kingdom, right here, but I will need your help."

Before Arthur could even ask, Hades twisted his hand and snapped the monarch's neck causing him to drop to the ground, dead as a doornail.

"And that will do nicely." he smiled while continuing to bounce the baby. Seeing everything that happened through the trees nearby, Sawyer gulped while reaching for his shell, not being able to take his eyes off of the god.

"Uh, boss? We've got a situation out here at the toll bridge. Respond; please." he relayed with his voice shaking in fear.

"Report back to the mansion." Quartermain advised while munching on a sandwich on one of the rooftops across from the loft, "Flamel, Locksley and I will be there shortly."

"Roger. Out." Sawyer nodded while Quartermain loaded two, small transport rocks into a riffle topped with a noise canceler. Keeping his eyes on the other agents as they followed the others to the loft, he fired both rounds at their feet causing them to be transported back to the briefing room at the mansion before crushing his own rock.

"We're just gonna check on my mom and Neal, then we'll start searching for Zelena and Hades, okay?" Emma asked before turning around to see that she wasn't talking to anyone at all, "The hell?"

After they realized that they were no longer outside the loft, the two agents looked befuddled as they stood in front of the roaring fireplace. "What just happened?" Nicholas asked.

"I think we should consider ourselves lucky that Quartermain is on our side." Robin replied as he deduced what happened. Before Nicholas could ask, he felt himself being tackled by two different people; and hearing/feeling a loud cracking sound in the process. Looking up, he saw that Mina and Skinner was tightly hugging him while practically crying on his chest.

"Our little Nicky is back!" Skinner wailed.

"Don't ever die on us again, you stupid, adorable idiot!" Mina cried.

"What was that cracking sound?" Robin asked.

"My ribs!" Nicholas croaked as he healed himself and while Nemo laughed as he helped him up.

"Just wait until Quartermain and Sawyer get here." the captain laughed as he pulled the young alchemist in for a quick hug.

"Thanks, guys. It's good to be-" But Nicholas was cut off by receiving a bullet right in between his eyes, knocking him to the ground. "Dammit, boss! Why'd you-Tom?!"

Seeing that it was Sawyer glaring at the alchemist with his riffle aimed where he stood and not Quartermain, everyone's eyes were wide with surprise. "That's what you get for dying without our permission!" he shouted as happy tears brimmed in his eyes.

"Why the hell would I ever ask for your permission regarding something like that?!" Nicholas exclaimed as Quartermain entered the room heading towards him, "Oh, crap. Boss, please. Please-boss, please! I just got shot in the head, I don't need any more shrapnel in me after what Sawyer just did-"

But his rambling was stopped as Quartermain pulled him in for a warm and fatherly hug with his eyes closed and a happy smile on his face. "Welcome home, Nicholas." he said softly patting the shocked, and somewhat terrified alchemist on the back before leaving him stunned as he took his seat.

"Did he just?" Skinner asked in shock.

"Yeah," Mina nodded equally surprised, "He did. I didn't even know if he knew what a hug was. Should I be offended that he's never hugged me despite all the times we've had sex?"

Quartermain's response was looking over his should with an unamused glare sent towards his subordinates. Straightening up, they rushed to their respective seats while Robin and Nemo chuckled before joining them as they pulled the still frozen Nicholas to his chair. It took several minutes to sum up what happened in the Underworld, but what really gained everyone's attention was when Robin, Nicholas and Sawyer informed the rest that Hades was in Storybrooke with his powers restored; and that he killed Arthur, not that anyone really cared.

"You're telling me," Quartermain growled as he rubbed his temple in anger, "That the bloody god of death is roaming about in Storybrooke as we speak? And that he happens to be in love with one of the human sacrifices?"

"Yeah," Nicholas cringed as the room trembled as a dark purple aura surrounded Quartermain as he grew angrier by the second, "Not exactly the ideal situation we need less than a week before the Promised Day, huh?"

"You think?!" he shouted causing several glasses to shatter in the room, "First we had to deal with your sister, then the Snow Queen and her curse, then it was Stiltskin and those Queens of Darkness and the Author, then it was Emma Swan becoming the Dark One and you getting yourself captured by Nimue resulting in your death. And now you tell me, that we have a murderous god wandering about with the obvious intent to kill anyone who stands in his way. Does that just about cover it?!"

"Uh, boss?" Sawyer asked nervously as the mansion shook, "I think you might wanna tone it down, just a bit. We're still trying to remain incognito, here."

"Oh, really, Thomas?" he growled as the shaking on got worse and the atmosphere almost felt heavy, "You find that to be more important than anything else right now? Is that it?"

"Well, I just-uh, I, uh, uh…I'll be quiet." he said sheepishly sinking into his chair. Calming himself down to get rid of the shaking and the aura around him, Quartermain sighed while rubbing his forehead.

"I'm at a loss." the hunter sighed, "We've killed countless monsters, demons and people over the years, but even I don't know how to kill a god."

"I think I do." Nicholas informed as he recalled something.

"What?" Mina asked.

"Well, during my time as Hades' little torture victim/wine bearer, I caught a glimpse at something interesting." he remembered rising from his seat over to the bookshelf, "There was a, no, not that one, a storybook Hades kept down there, not that one either, with him. It was an Underworld version of my nephew's book, filled with the stories of everyone down there who made a name for themselves when they were alive; mostly the villains. And in it, Hades' story was among the tales."

"What did it say?" Nemo asked taking an interest while Nicholas started tossing back book after book.

"Well, it was kind of hard to read all of it given that the one eye I had left was damaged from his torturing sessions." he replied, "But I did see some kind of illustration, one that had something important regarding Hades. It kind of looked like a lightning bolt being held up in someone's hand."

"Not a lightning bolt, something worse." Mina gasped as she went over to pull the book Nicholas was searching for and flipped through the pages before finding what they were looking for, "Was that it?"

"Yeah, that's it!" he nodded as he put on his reading glasses to read the name, "The Olympian Crystal?"

"What hell is that?" Sawyer asked clearly confused.

"A weapon of the gods." Mina whispered knowing fully well what it was, "Legends say that Zeus, Poseidon and Hades poured their godly strength into a single crystal to use as a weapon when they waged war against their father, Kronos. It has no equal. After Kronos was overthrown, Zeus broke the crystal in two which was stolen by Hades before he was banished to the Underworld to serve as its ruler."

"…What do you think the chances are that Hades left it down in the Underworld instead of bringing it up here?" Sawyer asked with false hope.

"The same that Skinner has when it comes to getting into bed with Mina." Nicholas flatly replied.

"But-but it's broken." Robin reminded, "He can't use it. Can he?"

"If he made it, he can fix it, too." Mina replied slamming the book shut.

"So the only weapon powerful enough to destroy Hades, is probably on Hades' person." Skinner stated with dread, "Well, that's just _grand_."

"Why can things never be easy for us?" Nemo asked looking to the ceiling to whatever god, not planning to kill them, was listening.

Out by the lake, Emma and Regina were searching for Zelena and Hades on their own while David went to get Hook's help. They had tried contacting both Nicholas and Robin, but every time they called it went straight to voicemail. They were beginning to grow worried.

"Regina!" Zelena said happily as she approached them and took her sister's hands in her own, "You made it back."

"Where the hell-"

"Wait." Regina interrupted the blonde, "We need some answers."

"Where the hell is Hades?" Emma asked.

"What?" Zelena asked taken aback by her brother's lover, "Look, I came to explain to everyone that he's changed."

"I hate to break it to you, Zelena, but, no," Emma said showing her a picture of Arthur's corpse, "He hasn't."

"Is that-is that Arthur?" she asked.

"We found his corpse at the toll bridge, Zelena. That's where you left Hades, isn't it?" Emma asked.

"N-no," she denied looking at the picture, "He-he helped you. He took your names off your graves."

"It was a trick so we'd trust him." Regina replied.

"Then maybe Arthur threatened my daughter. I left her with Hades when I-"

"I'm sorry, you did what?" Emma interrupted.

"Well, I couldn't very well bring her with me if there was a chance your mother was going to try something once I found her to explain everything." Zelena snapped, "Hades is different now his heart is beating. Love has changed him. I've changed him."

"Oh, you mean from the psychopath that tortured your brother in hell for his own entertainment?" Emma asked hotly, "How could you defend him after everything he did? Did you not see the state Nicholas was in when he was after the Stone? Hades did all that, Zelena!"

"Emma!" Regina snapped before speaking calmly to her sister, "Look, sometimes the truth hurts. Why don't you just tell us where he is?"

"And what are you planning to do when you find him?" she asked.

"Well, that depends on him." Regina replied, "But we'll do whatever we have to to protect this town."

"You mean imprison him." Zelena clarified.

"We'll do whatever we have to." Regina repeated, "I know this is hard to hear, but he is not the man you think he is."

"Actually, he is not a man at all. He is a god." she retorted defensively, "And if you try to hurt him, you do so at your own peril."

And with that, the Wicked Witch tossed her hand up and vanished in a puff of green smoke. "Well," Nicholas said dryly behind the two women startling them, "That could have gone a hell of a lot smoother."

"Where the hell were you?" Emma snapped, "We're not home for five minutes, and you disappear again?!"

"Hey, this time, I had no say in the matter." he defended raising his hands, "I was just as surprised that it happened as you."

"Where's Robin?" Regina asked.

"He's out looking for our niece." the alchemist replied just as he received at text with the god's location, "And it looks like he found them."

Having poofed/transmutated to the town hall, everyone watched as green magical energy covered the building. "My sister cast a protection spell on the building." Regina groaned.

"We can't just stand here and do nothing." Robin protested.

"I wasn't planning on doing nothing." Regina snapped, "As a matter of fact, I know exactly what to do. There's a secret tunnel that goes right under the town hall. We don't know how to defeat Hades, but maybe we can get your daughter back and talk some sense into Zelena, if you're with me."

"Of course I am." he nodded.

"You're wrong about one thing, Regina." Nicholas corrected, "We do know how to defeat Hades. All we need to do is wait for him to give us the chance to exploit his carelessness."

"How do we do that?" David asked.

"Leave that to me. You guys just keep yourselves and everyone else out of my way." he replied.

"Wait," Robin interjected looking unsure, "Nicholas, are you sure?"

"I'd rather not go back to the Underworld, Robin. I'm gonna need their help." he replied.

"Who's help?" Emma asked only to be silenced by a kiss.

"Make it through the night, and after we beat Hades, I'll tell you everything tomorrow." he teased before transmuting away.

Night eventually fell over town and as per Nicholas' request, Emma, David and Hook evacuated everyone from the town square. While they did so, Hades used his godly powers to slowly repair the Olympian Crystal on Regina's desk while Zelena watched.

"My brother didn't want me to have this," he explained, "So he stopped my heart and broke the crystal. Without a beating heart, I didn't have the power to put it back together, but now, thanks to you, different story."

"I'm sorry your brother didn't believe in you." Zelena said grabbing his arm soothingly.

"Don't be. I've only had a few thousand years to dwell on it." Hades joked, "And once I make this whole, we can show everyone they were wrong about us. We can live any life we want."

"That sounds lovely." she smiled.

"We could even rule this place together." he suggested.

"Rule Storybrooke?" she asked, "But I thought we were just planning to live here, you know? Nice little house, my daughter playing in the garden."

"Yeah," Hades chuckled fondly, "I want that, too, but these people, they're leaving us no choice. We might have to make a show of strength to survive. Especially…against the alchemist."

"What, Nicholas?" Zelena chuckled.

"Your brother has…lied to you, Zelena." he softly explained, "He's been keeping secrets from all of you; dark secrets. He plans on using you and the others for his own agenda."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Long ago, a group of…singular individuals banded together to accomplish many deeds across the realms. Since then, they've expanded into a secret society hell bent on ensuring that anyone that disagrees with them is severely punished. They do whatever it takes to get the job done, and they don't care who gets hurt in the process. They're cutthroats, liars, thieves, tyrants, murderers. They don't care who they kill so long as they're…compensated. And your brother, he's one of them. And unless we deal with him, before the week is out, you will see firsthand what he and his associates have in store for you and the others."

By the time he was finished warning his true love, the Olympian Crystal had been fully restored to its former glory. Once it was, a loud boom could be heard outside just before an explosion hit the main entrance to the town hall.

"What was that?" Zelena asked.

"What did I tell you?" Hades asked knowing who it was, "Not a care in the world over who gets hurt. Stay here with the baby, I'll handle him."

"Hades, wait-" she pleaded only to watch as he vanished in a vortex of blue fire, "Nicholas."

"Come on," Nicholas said impatiently in the center of the town square with an empty bazooka over his shoulder, "That had to have gotten your attention, so get out here, you son of a whore."

"You of all people should know better than to insult another man's mother." Hades warned appearing behind him.

"And you of all people should know what happens when you anger an Extraordinary Gentlemen." Nicholas retorted ditching the bazooka and standing his ground and popping his knuckles and neck, "I've been waiting weeks for this."

"So sure of your skills, are you?" he asked, "You know, I find it ironic that after everything you've done to establish your relationship with Zelena, you would practically throw it away by shooting the building she and her daughter are in with a, what is that, a bazooka?"

"Please," Nicholas scoffed unimpressed with the god, "You honestly think I don't know how strong my sister makes her own protection spells? I know her better than you do, Hades. So stop trying to guilt trip me, it ain't gonna work. You knew I only did that to get you out of there."

"Indeed, I did." the god nodded as he summoned a ball of blue, godly fire in his hand, "But you really should've thought this through. You shouldn't have challenged me alone."

"Who said anything about him being alone?" Sawyer asked as he and the others, all dressed in black, appeared from the mist with their weapons ready and trained on to Hades. They had him surrounded. Now they just hoped they had him outmatched.

"Oh, now this is a surprise." Hades chuckled, "Looks you people are about to go down in history as the only Extraordinary Gentlemen to have ever faced the god of death; too bad you won't live to tell how it all went down. And this crystal, will be the only legend worth mentioning."

"What crystal?" Quartermain asked. Pausing for a moment, Hades blinked twice before looking at his hands to see that he had left the crystal back at the office with Zelena.

"Uh-oh." he muttered.

"Lucky us!" Nicholas cheered before delivering a powerful knee strike to Hades' abdomen, causing him to spit up a bit of his lunch. Nemo then delivered a hard kick to the deity's jaw, sending him face first to the pavement.

Jumping to his feet, Hades readied himself as the agents around him took their positions. Nicholas made his move by using his lightning claws to electrocute the god while Sawyer and Quartermain began to fire their guns at him. Unfortunately, he was able to stop their attacks with ease by freezing them all in midair before they could harm him.

"Here," he said redirecting their trajectory back at them, "These belong to you."

"Scatter!" Quartermain ordered just before the bullets and lightning could get them. Skidding across the pavement like a baseball player, Nicholas had his shadows lunge at Hades only to watch them strike his barrier and go off in every other direction.

"Foolish mortals." Hades scoffed as he grabbed Quartermain by the throat and lifted him up.

"Boss!" Sawyer shouted.

"You should know better than to take on a god." he sighed while Quartermain's eyes turned purple just as they did when he dealt with Nimue. He then grabbed Hades' wrist and began to try and crush it in his grip causing the god to drop him.

"The same can be said of you!" Quartermain roared as he punched him hard enough to send him flying down the street and skipping across the ground like a stone on water before having the back of his neck make contact with Quartermain's arm after having appeared down the road in an instant.

Nicholas then decided to get in another shot at the fallen god by stretching his arm to grab Hades' leg and began to slam him on the ground like a rag doll; repeatedly. No longer wearing his trench coat, Skinner pulled Hades' leg out from under him after got up and body elbow slammed him against the pavement.

"Enough!" he cried sending them all back with a blast of his power. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that once again, someone was trying to get past the barrier and get inside. "Zelena."

"Hey!" Sawyer protested as their foe vanished, "Hey, we ain't done with ya!"

"Oh, no." Nicholas realized picking up the familiar scents of Regina and Robin, "He's going after them. Boss-"

"Get him!" he ordered jerking his head angrily. Needing no other words, Nicholas nodded and transmuted himself back to the building. Inside her office, Regina and Robin snuck in while Zelena was busy checking on her barrier.

"Shh, shh." Robin said soothing his crying baby, "Your father's here."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Hades debated as he appeared behind them with the crystal now in his hands.

"You stay away from my daughter." Robin warned with his dragon bow drawn back.

"Believe me. She's not the one who's in danger." the god warned pointing the crystal at Regina.

"Hades, stop." Regina pleaded, "This isn't worth it. If you kill me, you will lose Zelena forever."

"Shh." he hushed, "Only if she knows about it. And this isn't going to kill you, it's going to _end_ you. No Underworld, no moving on. One minute you exist, and the next, you don't. That's what you get for trying to turn Zelena against me. Plus, your little brother and his gaggle of friends just _really_ pissed me off, so after I'm done with you, Abba goes next."

"It was my idea to break in here." Robin defended, "Just use that on me. You let her go."

"Oh, sorry." Hades said darkly as Nicholas reached the doorway, "Ladies first."

"No!" Regina cried as the crystal fired its attack the moment Robin jumped in front of her. Nicholas was frozen in place when he saw his friend struck by the light. With what strength he had, Robin turned to Regina as tears brimmed in her eyes and gave her a sad, but thankful smile before his body dropped to the ground and his soul floated in front of her cupping her cheek. He then turned to Nicholas and gently nodded his head with respect before vanishing in a cloud of blue mist, all while Hades chuckled.

"Don't worry. You won't be apart long." he promised pointing the crystal at her now.

"Bastard!" Nicholas cried as he ran up to punch the god in the face again. But the loss of his friend and fellow agent made him sloppy and his attacks weaker.

"Not this time." Hades smirked before knocking the wind out of Nicholas with a bit of magic to render him to the ground next to Regina. It was then that Zelena returned to the horrific sight.

"Regina? Nicholas, what happened?" she asked taking notice that Robin wasn't moving, or breathing for that matter.

"Hades did this." she snarled past her tears and heartache.

"He said he was going to kill you, Zelena. I had to protect you." Hades lied.

"That's a lie!" she spat.

"Is it?" Zelena asked, "Hades told me about you and your friends, Nicholas. You wanted to kill him!"

"Zelena," Nicholas groaned in pain clutching his abdomen, "Whatever Hades told you about us, it-it's not the whole truth. He's a threat to this town and everyone in it. We had to act before it was too late. I'm-I'm just trying to protect all of you. But him? He's been lying to you ever since his heart started beating. All he wants is to rule us, like a tyrant!"

"Is that true?" Zelena asked as her heart began to shatter, "Are you just doing all this so you can rule Storybrooke?"

"I'm doing it for you." Hades replied keeping his eyes on the siblings, "Those people he works with? Those so-called _gentlemen_? They've only kept you alive because they want to use you, but the moment you have served their purpose, they will dispose of you like common trash. The only way to be safe is to use this power to create a new kingdom; _our_ kingdom."

"Can't we just be happy together?" she asked, "I mean, why do we need a kingdom?"

"This is about getting back at the families who never believed in us." he reasoned, "Remember what I told you, there's no better revenge…"

"Than having it all." Zelena finished. Seizing the chance, Nicholas made a break for the crystal by tackling Hades and knocking it out of his hand. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough and Zelena grabbed it before anyone else could. Instinctively, Regina rushed up to her brother and held him in her arms to protect him from any harm as he struggled to heal.

"It's okay." Hades assured, "Use it. End them."

"Zelena," Regina said as her voice shook, "We do believe in you. Nicholas defended and loved you when no one else did. We both wanted so badly for you to find love. But sometimes love blinds us. Hades tried to kill me already."

"No, she's lying." he lied.

"Robin died to protect me. Emma went down to the Underworld for Nicholas. That's what true love is. It's sacrifice. It's giving up everything for the person you love." she said choking back her sobs while Zelena was on the verge of tears, "But Hades won't give up a single thing for you. Like he said, he wants it all."

"Listen to her. She doesn't think you deserve to be happy." Hades accused pointing at the sister, "Look at this office. Look at this town. This all belonged to them when you had nothing, remember?"

"Of course I do!" Zelena cried.

"All you have to do is kill them, and you can have everything you ever wanted." Hades seduced as she raised the crystal, "Do it. If you won't, I will."

"Zelena," Nicholas said gently with a small smile, "Whatever you do, you're still our sister. We will still love you."

Her brother's sweet and sincere words were more than enough to pierce her heart to the point where tears spilled out from her eyes. "All I ever wanted was love. You told me that was enough for you, but now I realize," she choked as the crystal shined bright, "Nothing ever will be!"

Shocking everyone, Zelena stabbed Hades heart with the crystal and watched as his body was engulfed in blue fire before crumbling into a pile of dust, all while Zelena looked at her true love in horror. Regina then went over to Robin's corpse and finally began to sob while Zelena went over to comfort and grieve with her sister over the loss of her own love. All Nicholas could do was watch his sisters in sadness before going over to them and letting them sob against his chest as he tried not to shed a tear over the death of his brother-in-arms.

The following day, as the sky shed its own tears of sorrow, everyone gathered together to mourn the loss of Robin and pay their last respects. Despite having a falling out with the archer long ago, Will Scarlet suggested the proper way to say goodbye to which everyone agreed to. Being the first to do it, he placed one of Robin's arrows with a rose tied around it on his coffin followed by Little John, then Friar Tuck and the rest of the Merry Men. After them, Snow, David, Hook, Ariel and Henry placed their arrows alongside the others before leaving. Emma gave hers and choked back her tears while Nicholas rubbed her waist soothingly. After her, Regina placed what seemed to be the last arrow on the coffin as Zelena joined her while calming the crying baby.

"He never even got to name his daughter." Regina said sadly.

"There's only one name I can think of that's proper." Zelena informed with a sad smile to her sister, "Robin."

"Robin." she nodded sadly as they left. Standing alone, it was just Nicholas and Emma staring at the arrow covered coffin in sadness.

"Emma?" he said softly, "Could you go on ahead without me? I'd like to say goodbye alone."

"Okay." she nodded kissing his cheek before leaving him standing in the rain without an umbrella. Looking up to the heavens, he asked a mysterious question as the tears finally escaped his eyes and blended with the rain.

"Is this your legacy?"

Wiping his eyes and sniffling the snot trying to pour from his nose, Nicholas pulled out his friend's final arrow. But unlike the rest, this one did not have a small rose wrapped around it. Instead, linked by a chain wrapped tightly around the stem, was Robin's League coin. Placing it by his sisters' arrows, Nicholas took one last deep breath before waving his hand over the top of the coffin and using his alchemy to carve in the crest of the League for his comrade before leaving to join the others for the wake.

On the other side of town in the mayor's office, Rumplestiltskin sauntered in with confidence and crouched down by the ash pile that was once the god of death. Digging his finger in it and twirling it around, he found exactly what he was hoping for, a fragment of the Olympian Crystal.

"You should have realized when you waltzed in," he said to the pile darkly, "This is _my_ kingdom."


	67. Only you

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **Enjoy.**

Since Robin Hood of Locksley was such valued and beloved friend, his wake carried on from morning to nightfall at Granny's diner. Understanding her pain, Emma gave Nicholas back to Regina whose shoulder was simply used to rest her head on as she stared blankly at the back wall. She hadn't said a single word since she left with Zelena and the baby.

"Regina," Snow gently said as she came over with David and Emma, "Look, I know that there's nothing we can really say, but we just want you to know you don't have to go through this alone."

"She won't have to." Zelena said cradling Robin, "I think what my sister needs is a little time with someone who understands what she's going through."

"Zelena, we're sorry." David apologized, "What happened with Hades that…can't exactly be easy. We'll leave you three alone."

"Actually," Nicholas spoke up, "It'd be best if you stuck around, David; all of you."

"Why?" Snow asked.

"I told you that I would tell you guys everything after all was said and done. Now that Hades has been taken care of, and since Robin's gone, I can't think of a better time. Besides, I've been running low on time to tell you, anyway."

"If you're finally coming clean, mate, we'd like to hear it." Hook said as he and his new wife came over to join them.

"Good, because I actually have a confession to make to the both of you, as well. And you are not going to like it." he confessed sheepishly before taking a deep breath, "Okay, here we go. Well, as you all know, I've been keeping a lot of secrets from you all. Last time I tried to tell you this, things weren't as severe as they are now. I had hoped to tell you this sooner so everyone could be prepared for when it's all gonna go down. However, we've been dealing with a lot of interruptions lately."

"Is this about what Hades said?" Zelena asked.

"Yes." Nicholas sighed, "I don't know what he said exactly, but whatever it was, that's not the whole truth."

"Then what is it, Nicholas?" Emma asked.

"Oh, there's easy way to say this." he groaned running his hand down his face, "I don't even know where to begin. Okay. Well, as much as you all would like for this to be untrue, very soon, Storybrooke will be facing yet another threat, one that puts all the others to shame and will make you wish we'd be facing them again, instead. And unfortunately, in a manner of speaking, it's because of me."

"What?" Regina asked softly as they all looked at him in confusion and concern.

"A long time ago, when I was still a slave in Xerxes, I was, uh, a test subject for an experiment my master conducted."

"Wait," Emma interrupted, "I think I know what you're talking about."

"They showed you what happened, didn't they? The other souls?" he asked.

"Yeah." she nodded while shivering at the mere memory of what she saw, "What was that?"

"Well, the procedure itself is a bit difficult to understand if you're not an alchemist. But in a simple way to put it, it was my master playing god for the kingdom's ruler. It was that very experiment that led to the end of Xerxes, and the beginning of my immortality." Nicholas explained, "You see, the thing is, I'm-"

But once again, he was interrupted from telling them about the League and the Promised Day. This time, however, it was for a good reason. Everyone felt the entire town shake after a loud boom could be heard from outside.

"What the hell was that?" Regina asked.

"Given that that was a blast of magic, and that a certain someone isn't here offering their condolences, I think we know who's behind this." Nicholas sighed.

"The bloody crocodile." Hook spat, "Count yourself lucky, mate. Looks like you get to keep your secrets secret for a little longer."

"I've actually been trying to avoid that recently, believe it or not." he muttered as they all headed towards the clock tower, "Does anyone have an idea of what that midget's done now?"

"He's got the Olympian Crystal." Zelena replied feeling traces of its power, "Or part of it, anyway. Some of it must have survived. I can still feel the aura from it."

"Yeah, you're not the only one." Regina said sensing the spell Gold had used on it, "He used it to cast a tethering spell."

"Tethering spell?" Emma asked, "What was Gold attaching it to?"

"Storybrooke's magic." she realized, "That's why he cast a spell here."

"With that crystal, he can harness all of this town's magic for his own purpose." Zelena added.

"I don't get it." Ariel said confused, "Gold already has the power of all the Dark Ones. Why does he need more magic?"

"To wake Belle." Emma replied.

"Wake Belle?" Nicholas asked.

"Oh, yeah, you were saying goodbye to Boromir when we found out." she remembered, "Belle used a sleeping curse on herself to prevent Hades from taking her baby incase he sped up her pregnancy like you did to Zelena. Guess true love's kiss didn't work because she doesn't want to be with him."

"Aye," Hook nodded, "But once the crocodile wakes Belle, do you think he'll stop there? Do you think he'll just turnover the bloody crystal and all of its power over to us?"

"He's right." Emma nodded, "Let's go get that crystal."

"Let's. Where should we start?" Regina asked as the others left.

"Actually, um," Emma gently said while Henry eavesdropped on them, "I was thinking maybe you should sit this one out."

"Oh, that's why you all were being so delicate with me today. You're worried the Evil Queen is about to come out to play." Regina accused with an unamused smile.

"No, I just want what's best for you." Emma defended.

"No, you don't." Regina argued, "When you're upset, we follow you to Hell. But when I'm upset, I get a timeout."

"Regina," Emma stammered, "You're not in any state to think straight about this."

"And you don't get to tell me what to do."

"Moms, please." Henry pleaded stepping in.

"Henry, now's not the time." Emma cut off, "Maybe just take a minute to cool off and think about it."

"You don't want my help? Fine. I'll fix this on my own." Regina said before poofing away.

"Kid," Emma sighed putting her hands on his shoulders, "Go to my place and stay there. You'll be safe there, okay? We got this. I mean it, Henry. Go right home."

But instead of heading home, Henry once again disobeyed his mother and went elsewhere. This time, as opposed to when he was younger, he didn't just run off, he went over to the pawn shop to steal a large amount of his grandfather's money for his plan. As he locked the safe, Violet walked through the front door looking nervous.

"Henry. What's-what's going on?" she asked, "I got your text."

"It's my grandpa. He's trying to steal Storybrooke's magic." Henry explained, "It made me realize how bad it is. It's always magic. Always. Magic turned my mom into a Dark One, it killed my uncle, it took away the man my other mom loved, and now…now I think it's gonna tear my family apart. I used to think there was light and dark magic, but it's all bad. Look around this shop."

Walking from behind the counter, he pointed to the examples of his grandfather's deeds he kept in the shop. "These puppets, they're Geppetto's parents. This needle has put dozens of people under a curse they can't wake from, and this snow-globe, it has an entire village frozen inside. It's hurt so many people."

"My mother, that's how she died; magic." Violet confessed in pain. Seeing the girl he cared for in pain, Henry quickly made up his mind on what he had been planning.

"Come with me on a road trip. It's like a quest, but on a bus, which is like a horse, but with wheels and seats. J-just-just come with me." he said fumbling his words as his girlfriend laughed, "What do you say? I think I can fix this."

"My father would probably kill me." Violet reasoned, "But yes. Of course I'll come."

"Great. Great. We'll call it 'Operation Mixtape'." Henry said in excitement as he brought out his Author's pen, "There's just one more thing we're going to need. I promised I'd never use this pen to do anything besides record what happens, but what we're about to do is for the greater good."

With the power of his pen, Henry used it to take the Olympian Crystal from his grandfather and made it appear in the palm of his hand. "What's that?" Violet asked in amazement.

"The crystal my grandpa tethered Storybrooke's magic to." he replied stuffing it into his backpack.

"Wait, I-I-I don't understand. You said magic is bad. Why are we going to take it out of Storybrooke?" she asked.

"To destroy it." Henry answered, "Once and for all."

The following morning, Emma and the others were at the loft looking over a map of the town marking off places they already searched in their pursuit of the Dark One. Little did they know, he no longer had the crystal and Henry and Violet were already past the town's borders.

"So far no sign of Gold which means we need to expand our search perimeter to include the woods." Emma advised as Regina barged in.

"Where is he?" she hotly asked.

"I told you. We got this." Emma sighed, "We'll find Gold."

"Not Gold. Henry." Regina replied pulling out her phone.

"Oh, don't tell me that he's run away again." Nicholas groaned as Regina read the text the boy sent her.

"Mom, there's only one way to fix everything that's tearing us apart." Regina read in frustration, "I have to destroy-"

"The source of all our problems." Emma finished reading the exact same text on her phone.

"What does he mean?" Snow asked, "What is the source of all of our problems? What is he going to destroy?"

"Oh!" Nicholas exclaimed tossing his head back in annoyance, "It's the 'well and dynamite' thing all over again! He's gonna try to destroy magic again!"

"My thoughts exactly." Gold nodded as he stepped into the room, "And since the Olympian Crystal disappeared from my possession last night, our hypothesis is only proving to be more and more accurate. It would seem my grandson has used his authorial power to take it from me right under my nose."

"Would Henry really do that? Destroy magic?" Snow asked.

"We'd better hope he doesn't." Gold replied.

"Why?" Regina asked, "What happens if Henry succeeds?"

"Considering this town was built with magic, what do you think will happen?" he rudely asked.

"He would never destroy magic if he knew it could hurt us." Emma defended.

"I'll be sure to tell him that right before I take the crystal back."

"Don't you dare go near my son." Regina threatened.

"Sorry, dearie, but he's threatening me now." Gold sneered before poofing away with Regina going after him and Emma and Nicholas following her.

"Regina," Emma hollered once they were outside, "Where are you going?"

"I just lost Robin. I'm not about to lose Henry, too." she snapped as she marched to her car.

"I know, but we have to be smart about this." Emma advised, "Gold doesn't know where Henry is any more than we do."

"We?" Regina asked almost amused.

"Oh, damn." Nicholas thought.

"I don't remember inviting either of you to come along. You benched me, Emma. Now I bench you."

"Even if I know how to find Henry?" Emma asked as Regina stormed off. Hearing this caused her to stop and turn back.

"Alright, Sheriff Swan, where is he?" she asked.

"You think after all those times he ran away, I wouldn't put a GPS app on his phone?" Emma asked, "We have to catch up to him. He's headed to Boston. Nicholas, you're driving."

"Whoo-hoo!" he cheered running over to his convertible and starting the engine.

"You're letting _him_ drive?" Regina asked fearfully, "Do you not remember what happened on our last road trip?"

"Hey, he might drive like a maniac, but if we wanna get to Henry before Gold does, we're gonna need some reckless driving. Besides, I'm low on gas." Emma replied not looking forward to it either.

"…I'm gonna die in that car one of these days." Regina said bluntly.

Over at the town square, Snow, David, Hook, Ariel and Zelena waited in front of the library while Granny watched the babies off to the side. Leading her people, Queen Guinevere, no longer afflicted by Arthur's magic, approached the heroes with panic written all over her face.

"Is it true? Magic might disappear?" she asked.

"Only if Henry destroys the crystal." Snow replied.

"Which he won't, not with Emma, Regina and Nicholas searching for him." David added.

"Yes, but what if they don't find him in time?" she asked, "How are we going to get back without magic?"

"It won't be a problem if we send you home now." Snow assured.

"We?" Zelena scoffed pulling out the Apprentice's want, "I think you mean me, dear."

"Maybe this time, summon the portal without the twister?" she asked under her breath.

"You heroes ruin all the fun. Very well." Zelena agreed as she used the want to create a doorway leading back to Camelot. Elsewhere, at a bus station in Boston, Regina was having a heated discussion with the bus driver regarding Henry.

"He wasn't on the bus?" she asked hotly showing the driver a picture of the boy.

"Lady, I don't know what to tell you. Everyone got off." the driver said fed up with her attitude.

"Then why does the GPS tracker still say he's on it?"

"Because Henry hid his phone under one of the seats." Emma sighed as she got off with Nicholas and the phone, "He wanted us to think he came to Boston."

"Folks, if you don't mind, it's my lunch." the driver said walking away.

"Got any more bright ideas?" Regina asked throwing the phone in the trash which caught on fire, "Well, that's new."

"How's that even possible?" Emma asked as they stared at the flames, "We're in the land without magic."

"And so is Henry, with the crystal." Nicholas realized, "And all of Storybrooke's magic."

"Guys," Emma said in panic as she used her magic to get rid of the fire, "If our magic works out here, Gold's magic works out here. We've got to find Henry before he does."

"Well, if he's not in Boston, then where is he?" Regina asked with a sigh.

Coming off the bus in a completely different city, in an entirely different state, Henry watched as Violet looked around in awe before taking her hand. "Welcome to New York City." he said acting cool to impress her.

Back in Storybrooke, the Merry Men were the last to leave after the people of Camelot already went through the portal. "Are you sure Regina won't mind us leaving without saying goodbye?" Little John asked Zelena.

"She'll understand." she assured sadly nodding to Roland, "Robin would want him to grow up in Sherwood forest. We'll come and visit you soon, okay? And we'll even bring your baby sister."

Nodding sadly, Roland gave his sister a kiss goodbye before pulling out a feather from his coat sleeve. "For Regina." he said giving it to Zelena, "From one of my papa's arrows."

"How sweet." Zelena said smiling as they hugged, "She'll cherish it."

"Goodbye, Your Majesties." Little John said taking Roland's hand before going through the portal, "And good luck."

"You're gonna need it." Will nodded as he left.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snow asked her husband as Zelena tried to close the portal. But as she did, the magic barrier started to act like a liquid and began to pour out lunging towards them.

"What's happening?!" Ariel shouted over to raging wind.

"Stand back!" Zelena warned as she tried again.

"Zelena?!" David asked.

"It must have something to do magic being tied to that bloody crystal!" she shouted before they were all enveloped by the portal and taken to a strange new land.

"Everyone okay?" David asked as they got to their feet.

"For now. Look." Hook said pointing to a large field with a large, old mansion on the other side of a small gorge.

"Well, we're certainly not in Storybrooke anymore." Zelena remarked. Back in Boston, the two women and alchemist rummaged through the car in search of something that could help them find Henry.

"Don't you have a map in this pigsty of yours?" Regina asked her brother.

"In the glove box." he nodded, "And it wouldn't be this messy if you hadn't suggested going to Hardee's."

"Found it." Regina said taking out the map and a needle, "Emma, here, give me your hand."

"Why? What is that?" she asked looking warry at the needle.

"What?" Regina asked, "Worried I might make you take an eternal nap on a bus bench?"

"As much as I don't mind Nicholas having an excuse to kiss me, yeah." Emma nodded.

"Who says I need an excuse?" he teased.

"Will you two lovebirds knock it off? If you want to help Henry, you're just gonna have to trust me." Regina said hotly before pricking Emma's finger and dropping the blood on the map, "Now that there's magic in this world, this just might work. And if it does, you're going to lead us right to him."

Using her magic, Regina used the blood as a tracking spell on the map which trailed straight down to New York City. "Of course. New York." Emma nodded, "I hope Gold doesn't know that yet."

 **OUaT**

Back in the mysterious new land, the others looked around in confusion not being able to recognize anything around them. "If this isn't Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest, then where are we?" Snow asked as they wondered about.

"Well, where we are, I'd rather not stick around long enough to find out." David remarked, "Zelena, can you use the wand and get us back to Storybrooke?"

"Not quite." she huffed holding up the broken piece of wood.

"So we're trapped in this mysterious realm, wherever it is." Hook stated holding onto his nervous wife.

"You can fix it right?" David asked.

"Of course." Zelena nodded, "Do you happen to have any duct tape? We're not affixing the bumper to that god-awful truck of yours. This requires the proper potions, none of which I have with me."

"Well, then we're just gonna have to go find them." Snow snapped.

"Then we'll have to move quickly." she advised, "If we don't find Nicholas and the others before Henry destroys magic, fixing this wand won't matter. We'll be cut off from Storybrooke for good."

"Hold on, I hear something." David alerted hearing the sound of clippers. Heading around the corner, they found a frail looking man with glasses in a brown coat clipping some flowers off a gazebo by the mansion. "Excuse me. Can you tell us what land we're in?"

Not bothering to answer, the man dropped his scissors and tried to run away only to be stopped by Hook. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! No need to run."

"Please don't hurt me." the man begged.

"We just want to know what land we're in." David said gently.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." the man said in fear.

"It's okay." Snow assured, "You don't need to be afraid of us."

"No, you don't understand. You shouldn't be here. You have to go."

"Well, that's what we want to do. We're trying to get home to our families, to a town called Storybrooke."

"That's a s-strange name." he said.

"We need magic to get back there. Can you help us?" she asked.

"Magic?" he asked growing more panicked, "N-no, no, no. Magic is dangerous. If I help you, I'll be punished. They're watching me."

"Punished?" David asked in concern, "By who? Who's watching you?"

"By me." a dark skinned man wearing old fashioned white scrubs said before blasting them with electricity knocking them out. The next thing they knew, they were waking up in pain in a strange cell inside the mansion.

"I guess now we know what that groundsman was so afraid of." David pointed out as they got to their feet.

"This isn't like any dungeon I've ever seen." Snow remarked.

"I feel like I'm in a lobster trap." Ariel muttered as Zelena tried to open the cell but to no avail.

"These bars are enchanted." she informed, "Magic won't get us out of here."

"What about the wand?" Hook asked, "Do you still have it?"

"Should I be offended that he didn't frisk me?" she asked teasingly finding the wand still in her coat, "Not that this is any use to us in here."

"Hide it. Someone's coming." Snow warned when they heard the door open."

"There you are." a man with an English accent greeted opening the glass doors. He was tall and well-groomed wearing an expensive looking tailcoat and shined shoes complimenting his combed, red hair. "The prisoners who attacked my groundsman."

"No, no, no. We didn't attack anyone." David defended, "This is just a big misunderstanding. We just want to know where we are."

"All you need to know is that you don't want to be here, and that you're the ones who are going to be answering _my_ questions. Like why are you really here?"

"We just want to go home." Snow replied.

"You must think me so naïve, Snow White." he said shaking his head as he approached their cell.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"Oh, I know all your names." he replied with a terrifying smirk, "And I know you're lying. I know who really sent you. So tell me…what does Nicholas Flamel want?"

"You know my brother?" Zelena asked.

"Brother?" he asked before quickly grabbing her by the face in his tight grip, "Yes, I suppose there is a bit of a resemblance, isn't there? Odd. He never told any of us he had _two_ sisters."

"You scumbag, let her go!" Hook snarled charging up to him only to have his neck grabbed tightly.

"Killy!" Ariel cried as she and David tried to break the man's grip.

"You think it's wise to give _me_ orders?" he whispered to the pirate.

"He's too strong." David grunted.

"Look, we get it. You're powerful. But killing him isn't gonna change the truth, which is that we weren't sent here by Nicholas. He's trying to get back the magic from our town that was stolen by the Dark One. His wife's," Snow said only to stutter when the man released his grip on Hook, "Pregnant."

"You expect me to believe that Nicholas, Nicholas Flamel, is running around taking care of such trifling things when the Promised Day is almost upon us?" he asked confusing them all.

"Yes," David nodded in anger, "So whatever grudge you have against him, whatever this Promised Day is, we have nothing to do with it. Let us go, and you won't have to worry about us ever again."

"That remains to be seen." he said folding his hands behind his back, "And besides, whoever said I have a grudge against him? He's very dear to me; we're like family to each other. And in my experience, if you really don't want to worry about something, you lock it into a cage; a strong cage, like this one. It's when you unlock the cage…that's when the trouble starts."

 **OUaT**

Back in New York, Regina was able to pinpoint Henry's location to his father's old apartment. "Looks like Henry was here, but I don't think he was alone." Nicholas observed.

"Yeah," Emma smiled looking at the record, "That's, uh, his and Violet's song."

"They have a song?" the siblings asked.

"He really likes her. She's a nice girl." Emma nodded still smiling.

"You're just saying that because you feel bad about ripping her heart out in Camelot." Regina remarked, "I'll like her a lot better when I know where she's taken my son."

"So sure that she's the one dragging him around?" Nicholas asked crossing his arms, "Wait a minute. Emma, you did what now?"

"Well, I think I might be able to figure that out." Emma replied getting into Neal's old computer.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" he whined.

"Yes. He has definitely been here." Emma said searching the laptop's history, "He tried to wipe the search history clean. Luckily, I can get it back."

"I won't hold my breath." Regina said snootily going into the bedroom, "Maybe there's something else in here that can tell us where they've gone."

"You find anything?" Nicholas asked as cleaned out his pipe.

"One of Robin's books." she replied coming back in, "He must have brought it with him from Storybrooke when he came here. I know because I gave it to him. It's a collection of this world's legends about Robin Hood. He used to laugh at everything they got wrong."

"Sis," he asked as she pulled out a letter addressed to her from the book, "What is it? You okay?"

"It's a letter from Robin to me." she said showing them the letter.

"He must have written it when he was trying to make things work with Marian. Or your guys' sister."

"So what do I do?" she asked.

"Read it, of course." Nicholas replied as he continued to clean his pipe. Following his advice, she sat down and tried to read it but couldn't bring herself to do it. "Sis? You want me to read it?"

Since the pain was still too fresh, she nodded and handed it to her brother. Clearing his throat, and changing his voice to match Robin's, he began to read the letter to make it feel as though he were still by his sister's side.

"My dear Regina, I know I shouldn't be writing this, but I had to let you know how proud I am of you. You opened your heart to love and let it change you. And no matter what separates us, I know you'll always be the heroine woman I fell in love with. Robin."

"Regina?" Emma asked as Regina tried to hold back her tears, "You okay?"

"Please, Emma, if you're trying to make me feel better, don't." she pleaded.

"No, I know that I can't, and I won't." the blonde nodded, "I'm sorry about earlier. I was wrapped up worrying about you falling back into your old habits, I…I wasn't there for you about Robin."

"You want to know why I got so angry?" Regina asked, "Because you're right. The Evil Queen, _is_ inside me always trying to get out. I can't expect you to get it."

"No, I do." Emma replied, "I'm afraid that Nimue left some part of her inside of me when she took control. I was consumed by the darkness, too, you know."

"Yes, but not by choice." Regina argued, "I _did_ choose to be consumed by darkness. And I have to live with it every day. It's exhausting. I'm constantly at war with my instincts. Like when you two were teasing each other back in the car? My first impulse was to rip someone's throat out because it's not fair that Nicholas is the only one out of the three of us that still has their true love while the rest don't. But I didn't. Because I had to remind myself that the both of you lost each other, as well; even if it was only temporary. Much as I want to give in to evil, I don't. So I do good and hate every moment of it."

"You hate doing good?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes." Regina sighed, "It's complicated. I know it's right, but it always leads to loss for me. Yet I keep doing it now, and I keep suffering. But I know the Evil Queen can't return, so that's how it has to be. I'll never be at peace with myself."

"That's not true." Emma gently disagreed, "You fell in love with Robin, and you were happy."

"Yeah, and look what happened." Regina retorted, "I am what I am. I did what I did. Many years ago, I had a choice. Snow White told a secret. And I could have chosen to listen to my brother and forgive her. Instead, I did terrible things. Unspeakable things. That will always hang over me. I've tried to be the hero."

"And you have been." Emma reminded as Regina whipped her tears.

"What if it doesn't matter?" she asked, "There's no redemption for me. There's only suffering. Because now I have a curse. The curse of knowing the difference between good and evil. And I'm caught between them. If I revert, I lose everyone I love. Henry, my brother, my friends, everyone. And if I go forward trying to be good, I have to live with my past darkness and all its well-deserved consequences."

"I don't believe that." Emma denied, "I believe in you."

"We both believe in you." Nicholas nodded.

"That's because you two are good."

"No," Nicholas thought, "No, I'm not."

"But for me, it's a simple choice, really." Regina continued, "I'd rather suffer than see that pain on the people I care about. This is my fate. I'm trapped."

"He's at the midtown library." Emma said after the computer alerted them while Gold was listening outside the door.

"What are they doing there?" Nicholas asked. As he asked this particular question, Henry and Violet were beginning the search for a way to destroy magic by pouring through any book they thought was related. Just as his late father did before him.

"Here," he said dumping a few books in front of his girlfriend, "Start with these. Read every page and then reread it. Because whatever my dad was looking for, he never found it."

"And you think we will?" she asked.

"We have to." Henry said before stumbling upon something he did not expect to see, "That's impossible."

"Henry?" Violet asked, "What'd you find?"

"These books, they all look exactly like my storybook." he said completely baffled flipping through the pages, "They're magic. What are they doing in New York? I've never seen these characters in my book. Look at this. There are so many stories. Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Don Quixote, Bluebeard."

"Wait, Henry, you told me all the characters in your storybook are real." Violet recalled.

"Yeah?"

"So maybe, these are all real, too." she hypothesized.

 **OUaT**

Back in their cage, David struggled to figure out how to break the lock while Hook rubbed his neck groaning. "You alright?" he asked the pirate.

"Aye. Bloody fantastic." he replied sarcastically, "Other than that, even in this hellish land, the bloody alchemist's secrets manage to raise confusion. What the devil do you think that warden meant when he said they were like family? Does her wickedness have another estranged brother we don't know about?"

"Doubt it." Snow replied while Zelena rolled her eyes, "But with Nicholas, it could be anything."

"Yeah, no kidding." David agreed as he broke one of the stools to give himself a makeshift weapon as someone came to open the door, "Let's do this."

As their visitor came out from the shadows, they saw that it was the scrawny groundsman they met earlier. "There you are." he said in relief.

"What are you doing here?" Snow asked.

"What does it look like?" he asked approaching the cell, "I'm here to help you."

"Help us?" David asked, "Last time, you wouldn't even talk to us."

"That's because the warden was watching me. I had no choice." he defended.

"If you really want to help us, prove it." Hook spat, "Open those bloody bars."

"Yeah, I'm sick of being treated like canned tuna." Ariel nodded in annoyance.

"I can't." he replied, "His orderly, Poole, keeps the key with him at all times. I might be able to get the magic you need, if you'll make a promise to me first."

"Tell us. Anything." Snow replied desperately.

"When you leave this place, promise you'll take me with you back to your home." he pleaded.

"To Storybrooke? Why?" David asked.

"Because I'm not just the gardener here. I'm a prisoner the warden loves to humiliate on a daily basis. I'm sure you've met him already, and you can agree with me when I say that he isn't the pleasantest sort of man."

"Look," Zelena said, "We need magic so I can fix this wand."

"I-I know exactly where to go." he stuttered, "The-the hospital lab, but I can't take anything without the warden knowing that it's missing. You'll have to give the pieces to me so I can fix it there. Then I'll bring them back."

As he tried to take them from Zelena, David grabbed his arm and pressed the stake against his throat. "Please understand," Snow said gently, "That wand is our only way home. Okay, so why should we trust you?"

"You've met the warden." he replied, "Trust me, I want to get away from him and the League as much as you do."

"The-the League?" Snow asked.

"What League?" Hook asked, "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Before he could clarify, noise could be heard from the hall making the man all the more panicked. "There isn't much time."

"This is a bad plan." David said glaring at him.

"It's the only one we've got." Snow replied as Zelena handed over the pieces.

 **OUaT**

"Now I see why my dad gave up!" Henry said nearly shouting in frustration, "There's nothing in here about destroying magic. We came all this way for nothing."

"Not for nothing. You'll figure it out." Violet reassured putting her hand on his in comfort before something in a nearby cabinet caught her eye, "Henry! Henry, I know why your dad never finished his quest. It's because he never visited Camelot. Back in Camelot, my tutor used to show me paintings of the Holy Grail. He said it was the source of all magic. And it looked just like that."

"But the Grail turned into Excalibur. That can't be it." Henry reminded looking at the black grail.

"No, the Grail was always silver, but this looks kind of like it-it-its twin. And if the Grail really was the beginning of all magic…"

"This might be the end of it." he finished, "Stand back."

"Why?" she asked as he grabbed a book, "What are you gonna-"

Him shattering the glass to take the black grail proved to be a satisfying answer for her, to say the least. Wanting to make sure their hypothesis was correct, Henry put the grail on the table and placed the crystal next to it. When it began to glow and drew the cup closer to it, they knew they had found their answer.

"You were right." he said happily splitting them apart, "This will destroy magic."

"So what do we do now?" she asked, "What happens next?"

"Whatever it is, it's not safe to do here." Henry replied as they began to leave only to be stopped by his grandfather.

"Hello, Henry." he greeted darkly.

"Violet, get behind me." Henry said not leaving it for discussion, "You're not getting this crystal. Not without a fight."

"Too bad you're gonna lose." Rumple smirked before putting them to sleep and taking the crystal with ease.

 **OUaT**

After night had fallen in the other realm, the groundsman snuck into the laboratory and successfully managed to repair the wand. Unfortunately for him, Poole had found him as soon as he was finished.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked storming in.

"The w-w-warden wanted me to fix this." he weakly lied, "It's a surgical instrument."

"Well, if that's true, you won't mind me asking the warden himself." Poole said intimidating him.

"No, y-you can't do that." he stammered, "You know he doesn't like to be disturbed."

"Indeed, I don't." the warden agreed stepping out from the shadows menacingly, "And yet, here I am; being disturbed by you, yet again."

"D-d-d-d-"

"D-d-d-d," the warden mocked before approaching his prisoner with a hard glare, "Speak a little more confidently and people may actually begin to respect you more, Harold. How many times must I tell you this?"

"Henry," Harold stammered, "I-I-I-I was just-"

"You were just repairing a very powerful wand that you planned on giving to the prisoners in exchange for you being liberated from this place." the warden answered grabbing the frail man's face, "And that was a mistake."

With impressive strength, the taller man threw Harold across the room causing him to be knocked out upon impact with the floor. "Mr. Poole?"

"Y-yes, Doctor?" his associate asked.

"Join me in the sunroom, if you please?" he asked even though he didn't have much of a choice.

"Y-yes, sir. Of course, Dr. Jekyll." Poole nodded following his employer, "Doctor? What shall we do about the prisoners? Kill them?"

"No," Jekyll replied examining the wand, "I know now for a fact that one of them happens to be a Human Sacrifice; and Flamel's sister."

"A sacrifice?" Poole asked astonished, "Here? But-but why?"

"That is something I would like to know, myself." Jekyll replied, "It is clear to me that Nicholas has yet to inform these people about the League, let alone the Promised Day."

"But the Promised Day is five days away, isn't it?"

"Four, actually." he corrected, "And that's what troubles me. I'm not sure what he's been doing as of late, but it must have been important enough to keep him from explaining the severity of what is to come. And why he or the others have yet to contact me regarding my assistance in that endeavor."

"Then what are we to do? Contact the director?" Poole asked.

"That will present us with more problems than solutions." Jekyll responded as they entered a sunroom filled with various and strange plants, "My position here as the warden is proof enough to show that I am on thin ice with the director. I will simply have to take matters into my own hands, now."

"And the wand?"

"This piece of wood will be of great service to us." Jekyll replied walking over to a pedestal in the center of the room, "If the Dark One truly does have a pregnant wife, and he is one of the sacrifices, then we will need a great source of leverage to use against him."

 **OUaT**

With the help of Nicholas' reckless driving, the trio was able to reach the library where they found the young couple asleep on the floor. "Henry!" Emma cried helping him wake up, "Are you okay?"

"Mom," he asked groggily, "Where's Violet?"

"I'm right here." she said as Nicholas helped her up, "I'm alright."

"What happened to you?" Emma asked a bit more gently, "To both of you?"

"Grandpa." Henry replied, "He has the crystal now."

"You little dipstick!" Nicholas said smacking his nephew upside the head.

"Ow." Henry muttered.

"What were you thinking?! Did you learn nothing the last time you tried this stupid stunt?!" he shouted.

"Why would you try to destroy magic?" Regina asked not as hot tempered as her brother.

"Do you really have to ask me that?" Henry sneered, "You finally had a chance to be happy, and then magic took it away from you, just like with Daniel."

"Henry, the Evil Queen is never coming back. You don't have to worry about me."

"I don't," he nodded, "Because my other mom is doing that for me. You thought she was gonna go all Evil Queen again."

"I'm sorry." Emma apologized, "I should have trusted Regina."

"But you didn't!" Henry snapped, "Because you know how it goes for us."

"Boy, you better watch your tone." Nicholas warned not liking the kid's attitude.

"No, I won't!" Henry shot back, "Every time it looks like we could be happy, magic just comes in and wrecks it."

"Oh, you better watch it, you little hypocrite, or else, I'm gonna bend you over my knee right in front of your girlfriend!" he thought hotly.

"Is that what you really think?" Regina asked astonished by her son's words.

"Yeah." he nodded, "In case you both forgot, magic took away my dad and my uncle. And it took away Violet's mom. And I don't know what I would do if it took away one of you."

"Henry." Emma said trying to comfort him.

"Don't!" he barked, "Just don't."

"Oh," Nicholas growled in his head, "I'm about ready to go all Homer Simpson on that boy's neck if he keeps up that attitude of his."

"Henry, what were you doing down here?" Regina asked.

"Following my dad's trail to destroy magic." he replied no less angry, "But we didn't find anything. It was just a waste of time."

"Yes, they did." Nicholas thought narrowing his eyes, "He's lying."

"So, what do we do now?" Violet asked, "Cause Henry's grandpa has the crystal."

"Well, we have to find him." Regina sighed pulling out a map of the city ready to use the same spell as before with Henry, "Give me your hand."

"Is this really gonna help find him?" Henry asked.

"This will us if he's still in New York." Regina replied pricking his finger. But when his blood touched the map, it just sat there unmoving.

"Why isn't working?" Emma asked.

"Our magic, it's gone." she realized.

"Gold must have done something to the crystal." Nicholas suspected, "What the hell is he doing?"

"He's not gonna give that magic back to anyone." Emma pointed out, "He's gonna keep it all for himself. Well, we're gonna have to do it the old-fashioned way."

As they discussed all this, Gold checked into a fancy hotel not far from the library and entered his suite on the top floor to begin preparations for the spell meant to wake his sleeping wife, who had been kept inside Pandora's Box since the Underworld.

 **OUaT**

"You're summoning a portal?" Poole asked Jekyll as he waved the wand towards the ceiling.

"Hush." he said as he created a swirling, blue vortex above them.

"Is this how we get to this…Storybrooke?" Poole asked.

"No, we have plenty of magic beans to take care of that for us." Jekyll replied, "No, for what we're after, you need to think bigger. You need to think about the Promised Day."

"Then what are we doing?" he asked.

"Taking something that will give us the power we need."

 **OUaT**

Placing the crystal on the dresser and the box holding his wife on the bed, Rumplestiltskin spoke to Belle despite her not being able to hear him.

"Now, when I wake you, I think you'll finally understand that everything I've done, I've done for you and our child. And then, I'm gonna give you what you always wanted, Belle. I'm gonna show you the world." But as he made his promise, the room began to shake from the portal Jekyll had made in the Land of Untold Stories. "A portal."

At first, he thought it was meant to take the Olympian Crystal, which he grabbed first. But he was proven wrong when he saw Pandora's Box fall through a small portal in the bed.

"Belle!" he cried making a dive for her and tearing through the covers even though she was already gone, "Belle! Belle? Belle?! Oh, no. Oh, no."

 **OUaT**

In an instant, the box dropped from the portal right into Jekyll's hand. "I don't understand." Poole said confused, "How is this box going to give us leverage over the Dark One?"

"It's not the box that's important." Jekyll clarified, "It's what's inside it. Or rather, who. If the Dark One ever wishes to see his wife again, he'll have to do exactly as I say. And they say you can only control the Dark One with his dagger."


	68. An Extraordinary Untold Story

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, or FMAB.**

 **ENJOY!**

Back in Storybrooke, Quartermain approached the Dark One's cabin with his ever stern expression plastered on his face. Given what was coming to threaten the town, he thought making this sudden approach was best to be done now than later. Once he knocked on the door, Emma's childhood friend Lily opened the door with an unwelcoming look.

"What do you want?" she rudely asked.

"Lilith Page?" he gruffly asked.

"Who wants to know?" she replied.

"Someone who has matters to discuss with your mother." he replied.

"What for?"

"Well, that really doesn't concern you, does it?" he asked matching her glare with his own, "Now, I can either keep this civilized, or I can simply brush past you and speak to her myself. Which would you prefer?"

"Oh, you wanna try it?" she asked as her eyes flared yellow.

"Spare me your idle threats." Quartermain said unamused, "I've faced many a strange creature in my day, and a thirty year old woman who can turn herself into a dragon for a few minutes would not be the most difficult of them all. So, will you let me in, or shall I have to ask you again? I'm rather pressed for time, at the moment."

Narrowing her eyes at him, Lily relented and opened the door for him. "Mom," she called not taking her eyes off him, "You have visitor."

"Thank you." Quartermain nodded stepping inside the cabin. As he walked in, he found Maleficent sitting in a rocking chair by the fireplace with a blanket over her legs. If one were to look at her, they would say that she had certainly seen better days.

"Maleficent." he nodded with respect.

"Who the hell are you?" she weakly asked.

"Someone who has important news regarding your future." he replied sitting across from her.

"My future?" she asked, "What are you, some kind of fortune teller?"

"Not quite." he replied showing her his coin. Recognizing the piece of bronze, Maleficent's eyes widen with shock.

"Lilith, dear?" she asked staring at the man before her, "Could you run into town for me? I'm growing hungry."

"Are you sure?" her daughter asked in concern, "What about this guy?"

"Sweetheart," Maleficent interrupted, "Please, just do as I ask."

"…Okay." Lily nodded hesitantly before leaving.

"So," Maleficent sighed sitting up straight, "What does the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen want with me?"

"You know of us, then." Quartermain stated.

"I know that Ursula is married to one of your kind." she replied, "It didn't take too many of her stories about her husband and his exploits to understand how dangerous you are."

"Yes, we have a rather intimidating reputation, I will agree." he nodded, "But this isn't just about the League. This little visit involves you. You don't look too well, Maleficent. Something put you under the weather?"

"It's that brat of Emma Swan's, "Maleficent glared, "Ever since he took Storybrooke's magic past the borders, I've been growing weaker by the hour."

"Yes, that is to be expected seeing as this place's magic is the only thing keeping you alive." Quartermain nodded, "I can't imagine how that must feel."

"Why are you here?" she asked cutting to the chase.

"Growing impatient on your deathbed?" he teased, "Very well, I'll tell you why I'm here. The fact of the matter is, Maleficent, you're about to be part of something very crucial that will affect the fate of all realms very soon."

"Do tell?" she asked darkly.

 **OUaT**

When morning came in the Land of Untold Stories, Hook was trying to get through the cell's lock with his namesake, however, he seemed to be struggling in that endeavor. "Did you get into your own rum?" Zelena taunted, "You think that's going to work when my magic can't?"

"Well, I suppose I could just do nothing, but then again, that's your job!" he retorted hotly.

"If you really want to get out of here, I can arrange a trip right back to the Underworld!" she fired.

"Stop it!" David intervened, "Now, we need to be patient. The groundsman promised to fix the wand and bring it back to us."

"Unfortunately, I was only able to keep half my promise." Harold replied as he joined them.

"What do you mean?" Zelena asked, "Where's the wand?"

"I repaired it, but then the warden took it from me. I didn't come empty-handed, though." he reassured showing them the key, "Seems the orderly, he enjoyed a little bit too much whiskey today."

"We need to get that wand back from that warden." Snow stressed, "Do you know where he is?"

"Eh, no, uh, but first things first, before we find him, we must have a way to defeat him. He's quite powerful." he warned as he unlocked the cage, "Now, I might have a way, but it is dangerous."

"Hasn't stopped us before." Snow replied walking out of the cell. After exiting the mansion, they ventured into town to find a steampunk styled community with all sorts of unique people and wares.

"Friends, oh, friends! The time draws near! The Promised Day is soon upon us!" a man wearing a tattered suit and top hat with pocket watches all over him shouted to the crowds at the shopping district, "Take heed to your loved ones and send your prayers to our comrades brave enough to stand against this endeavor!"

"What's this Promised Day they're talking about?" Ariel asked.

"It's a terrible event that will decide the fate of all the major realms very soon. This one, and a select few others are the only ones that won't be affected by it. The League has been preparing its counter measures against it for over half a century now."

"You mentioned this League before," Hook recalled, "What is it?"

"Uh, probably best not to discuss it here." Harold advised nervously, "Many of its members reside here and they are always watching."

"Well, can you at least tell us what this place is?" Snow asked, "It's like all the realms at once."

"You're closer than you think." he replied, "This land is a refuge created by the League filled with outcasts from all over. Each forced to flee their problems. Each finding safe haven here."

"Forced to flee from what?" she asked.

"Well, the reasons are as varied as the populace, and everyone here has their own tale. That's why this place has come to be known as the Land of Untold Stories."

"It's a tad ironic of a name, no, given that this land is seemingly filled with stories." Hook remarked.

"Perhaps," Harold nodded, "But there's only one story we need to worry about right now. That's our own."

"Right, and that story better end with us getting back to our world." the pirate agreed as they continued their way through the market.

 **OUaT**

Storming through the busy streets of New York, Henry continued to get further and further away from the library with his pink wearing girlfriend at his heels. After having to find the imp the old fashioned way, the adults told the two teenagers to stay behind and wait for them until they got back. Obviously, he was still very angry at Emma and the fact that his grandfather had once again outsmarted him by taking the crystal as easily as he took it from him.

"Henry," Violet said catching up, "Henry, will you stop? Your moms and uncle told us to wait back in the library."

"They could be in trouble. And since when do you care what they say?" he snapped coldly, "You already ran away with me. You lied about the dark grail."

"Henry," she said taking his hand and stopping him, "I know you're scared. And if you really think this is the best thing to do, I'll help you."

"Thank you." he said beginning to cool down.

"But I hope you have a good plan, because we don't have magic and we have no idea where your grandfather is."

"Actually, I think I do." he said looking up to see a dark cloud of magic over a nearby hotel.

"Subtle as always, it would seem." Nicholas remarked as he and the two women looked up at the hotel not knowing Henry and Violet were nearby.

"If I know Henry, he's already disobeyed us." Emma speculated pulling out her phone, "We should call and tell him to stay put."

"Which would work if I hadn't torched his phone." Regina cringed.

"Yeah, like that would work." Nicholas muttered rolling his eyes.

"Something you wish to share, little brother?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do; to both of you." he retorted, "This is what happens when you constantly coddle the boy and fail to discipline him. He thinks he can disobey us and not face any consequences after he gets caught. He becomes a spoiled brat that disobeys his elders and does whatever the hell he wants."

"Excuse me?" Emma asked raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, come off it, Emma." Nicholas scolded, "When the last time either of you actually disciplined him since the curse broke after he disobeyed you? He does this sort of stupid stuff all the time! He runs away, puts himself in danger and doesn't think of the consequences for his actions. He did that when he ran into the mines, he did that with the apple turnover, he did that when he broke into the vault and almost got bit by that two headed snake, he did that when he tried to blow up the well, and he's done that today by leading us on a wild goose chase all over the freaking east coast! He's only thinking about himself right now and not how getting rid of magic will affect the rest of Storybrooke. He is a spoiled brat because the rest of you fail to punish him, either because you get too wrapped up in your sympathy for him, or because somebody's trying to kill us all!"

"Oh, so you're 'Mr. Perfect Parent', then?" Regina asked sarcastically.

"I didn't say that. But will say that the last time I caught Henry doing something stupid like that, I actually did ground him, sister dear." Nicholas retorted, "And I would've done it all those other times, too, if we hadn't dealt with all that shit interrupting our everyday lives. And by the time everything had gone and settled down, it was well over a year since he did those things and it would have been pointless to discipline him. When we get home, I'm gonna remind that little snot that he's not too old for me to bend over my knee. He is not getting away scot-free this time, and I don't care what you two say."

"Nicholas, I-" Emma began to argue only to be cut off by her phone.

"Now what?" Regina huffed.

"It's Granny. Something's happened in Storybrooke." Emma said, "My parents, Hook, Ariel and your sister were pulled through some kind of portal."

"Again?" they asked, "To where?"

"Granny is an expert on lasagna, not magic." Emma replied, "All she says is that they vanished with the Sorcerer's wand and never came back. They might all be in danger. We have to bring them home."

Out of the corner of his eye, Nicholas spotted a familiar Chinese man nod his head towards him in confirmation before vanishing as soon as a car drove past him. That alone was a big enough clue to tell him where the others ended up.

"Well, the only way to do that is to get out magic back from Gold." Regina replied as they headed towards the hotel.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked stopping her, "We need a plan."

"I have one." Regina replied in anger, "I still have a fist. Gold still has a nose. If either of you don't like it, I'll do this alone."

"I get it." Emma said, "I want to help my family, too, but we have to be smart about this."

"And I know just how we can go about doing that." Nicholas added forming up a plan of his own. A few minutes later, the two siblings were greeted by the Dark One after knocking on his door.

"Didn't you see the sign?" he asked rudely pointing to the do not disturb sign.

"We need to talk." Regina informed, "Alone. The Savior doesn't even know we're here."

"Trouble in paradise, Flamel?" Rumple mocked.

"You really wanna go there?" Nicholas asked with a dry look as they let themselves in.

"So, what makes you think I have any interest in talking to either of you?" he asked sighing.

"Because the storm clouds outside tell me you haven't been able to wake Belle yet." Regina replied as she took notice of the ritual her old teacher was trying to perform, "And apparently, it's not from a lack of trying. Seems to me like you can use the help of your best student."

"Yes, but we both know that's not you, dearie." Rumple chuckled, "My best student was a queen; with an annoying little alchemist for a brother."

"Oh, you wound me so." Nicholas pouted sarcastically clutching his heart.

"You have her buried under layers of tasteful cotton and good intentions. Such a pity." he finished.

"What if I told you I was ready to let her back out?" she asked, "What if I told you I am sick of losing everyone I care about?"

"Well, I'd say, I don't believe you and that I'm more interested in what your brother has to say." he replied looking out the window.

"What are you talking abou-"

"Save it, Regina." Nicholas interrupted with a sly smirk towards the Dark One, "He knows you're lying. And I'm glad you realized that I have something to talk about, Rumple. Because it involves you tremendously."

"Do tell?" he asked taking an interest, even if just a small one.

"Indeed." Nicholas nodded pointing to the lounge area, "Shall we discuss this over a drink? I'm getting one."

"What the hell is he doing?!" Regina screamed in her mind, "This was not part of the plan!"

 **OUaT**

"Here we are." Harold said reaching an apartment building, "This is where the warden lived before he began to stay at the prison."

"How is this place going to help us?" Zelena asked as they reached the front door.

"Because, he has something here that I can use to defeat him." he replied as he opened to the door only to see Jekyll waiting for him.

"Are you so sure of that?" he asked with a dark smirk.

"I-I-I-I don't understand." Harold stuttered backing away in fear, "You-you never leave the prison, ever!"

"Yes, well, things change." Jekyll chuckled stepping forward down the steps, "And I can't very well let you try and steal from me yet again, can I, Harold?"

"No, don't!" he pleaded. But Jekyll ignored his pleas and sucker punched him before kneeing him in the gut and back-handing him to the ground, rendering him unconscious. The others were slowly backing away at this point after seeing the doctor's display of strength and skill.

"You're all probably wondering what I'm going to do to you now, aren't you?" he asked straightening his collar and tie, "See, this is the part where you run away and I chase after you."

Seeing that they were outmatched, they followed his advice and made a break for the market once again. All Jekyll did was laugh as he walked after them. But what he didn't notice was Harold picking himself up with a look of absolute hatred as he hobbled inside the building.

 **OUaT**

"You know?" Nicholas asked as he savored his drink, "I'm not usually a fan of vanilla whiskey, but this stuff isn't that bad."

"Did you break your sister's cover just so we could chat about the provided beverages?" Rumple asked impatiently as Emma covertly broke into the room in order to steal the crystal.

"Not quite." he replied finishing his drink, "Do you remember when the first curse was still around, back when you kidnapped Belle's father and had nearly beaten him to death with your cane? You made two deals the following morning behind your cell at the sheriff's station in exchange for that old tea cup of yours. You made one with Regina who simply wanted to know if you had your memories back, and you made one with me."

"What's your point?" Rumple asked growing bored.

"Well, seeing as it was a long time ago, and given that we've both died since then, in addition to dealing with almost a dozen villains, let me remind you of my conditions. One: you will give me your complete cooperation when asked. 100%. Two: you will not try to find any way or thing at all that could benefit yourself when things are all said and done. Three: you will follow all my instructions and orders until I say that our arrangement has been honored. And four: you will not harm me or my loved ones after I release you. Sound familiar?" he asked.

"And you wish to cash in that old favor now?" Gold chuckled.

"No, not just yet. But soon. Very soon." Nicholas corrected with a playful smile, "You see, Rumplestiltskin, you're a part of something very important that's tied to the fate of the nine major realms, whether you know it or not. You've nearly escaped this twice; when you died, and when Emma took your place as the Dark One. There is a threat coming to Storybrooke that involves the two of us, Zelena, Emma, and Maleficent. And if you ever want to see Belle alive again, you will give us your full cooperation."

"Don't play games with me, alchemist." Gold lectured, "You don't have anything on me."

"Not even the location where Belle was taken through that portal that sucked her up earlier?" he asked gaining everyone's attention.

"How did you-"

"Oh, Rumple." Nicholas smirked, "When are you going to get it through that thick head of yours that I am always three steps ahead of you in every way? I know exactly where Belle is, as well as where the others are so you can stop looking around for the crystal, Emma."

"Nicholas, what are you-" Regina asked hotly.

"He already knows she's here so there's no point in keeping this up." Nicholas replied keeping his eyes on the Dark One as Emma joined them, "Besides, he's far more interested in what I have to say."

"What do you mean I'm involved in this, Nicholas?" Emma asked.

"You see, we three have something in common that most people do not. And that's what makes us tied together in the same sinking ship we're in." he continued.

"There's a reason why we allowed you to be resurrected in the first place, Maleficent." Quartermain explained to the sickly dragon-lady, "You qualified for something dark and terrible the moment you were brought back from that pile of dust."

"We've suffered through much in our lives," Nicholas continued, "But we three and the other two are but the few who have done the impossible. We've managed to survive having our bodies deconstructed and then reconstructed again with our powers intact, or we managed to gain more in the process."

"That alone is the reason why I am here today." Quartermain clarified while Maleficent grew worried, "Your fate has been tampered with and is no longer your own."

"But we still have the chance to change all that, so long as you cooperate with me." Nicholas assured.

"You're not simply a Queen of Darkness or the so-called Mistress of all Evil anymore." Quartermain informed.

"We're something entirely different thanks to someone's meddling." Nicholas said sending chills down their spines, "Someone connected to my past from Xerxes."

"And just what are we, then?" Gold and Maleficent asked.

"Human Sacrifices." the two agents answered simultaneously across the states.

"So," Nicholas calmly continued as the others stared at him in shock, "Here's how we can go about doing business together. Either you cooperate with or without my deal weighing over your head, or you can make things difficult and in the process, never see your wife or unborn child alive, again."

"Are you threatening my family, boy?" Rumple asked gritting his teeth.

"Well, that's entirely up to you." he chuckled darkly, "Because I've waited too damn long for things to be mucked up at this point. And as it happens, one of my associates is in possession of Belle as we speak so if you don't want to cooperate, I can easily retrieve her so I can make you watch after I inject you with a dozen needles filled with squid ink as I tear out your child from Belle's uterus with my bare hands and crush its fetus before dropping her blood soaked body in front of you and crush her skull under my boot!"

"Not likely!" Rumple seethed jumping to his feet with a ball of fire in his hand aimed at the alchemist. But at that very moment, Henry barged in with Violet and the dark grail in his hand.

"Stop!" he demanded.

"Henry, get out of here." Regina ordered, "There's nothing you can do."

"Yes, there is." he denied using the grail to absorb his grandfather's attack before directing it on the crystal.

"No!" Gold and Nicholas shouted before they were knocked back by the grail's shock wave.

"Henry?" Emma asked in shock, "What have you done?"

"I destroyed magic." he said coldly.

"Have you any idea what you've just done?" Gold asked enraged.

"Stop you from hurting my moms and uncle, and anybody else." Henry snarled.

"You stopped me from rescuing Belle, not to mention the rest of your family, who are now trapped in the same realm with her!" he shouted.

"What's he talking about?" Henry asked losing his heroic confidence as Nicholas' phone rang.

"This is Flamel." he said walking out of the room.

"David, Snow, Ariel, Hook and Zelena are in another realm right now." Regina gently replied.

"And thanks to you, we have no way of helping them get back." Rumple added.

"I did what I had to. This isn't on me. It's on _you_!" Henry sneered as he began to storm out only to be stopped when his uncle pierced the doors with his spears.

"Boss, I'll have to call you back." he said as his voice trembled with anger before crushing his phone and destroying it with his alchemy. His whole body began to shake and rack with anger and his directed his dilated pupils towards his nephew.

"You." he said softly through his gritting teeth, "You…"

"Nicholas?" Emma asked growing concerned while Henry became very afraid.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Regina asked no less concerned.

"You…you little idiot!" he roared before backhanding his nephew's face hard enough to draw blood on his lip. Everyone, including the boy's angry grandfather, was shocked as the sound of the slap rang through their ears while watching Henry fall to the ground. And it certainly didn't stop when Nicholas grabbed the collar of the boy's jacket and began to shake him violently.

"You idiot! You damn, selfish, foolish idiot!" he roared practically foaming at the mouth, "You've ruined everything! You mucked everything up! Fifty years' worth of planning gone in an instant because of you, you stupid boy!"

"Stop it!" Emma shouted pulling her boyfriend off her son. But his tantrum didn't stop there. Nicholas then began to smash everything in sight. Nightstands, cabinets, glass, the wall, all of it was being reduced to splinters and fragments and he pounded his fists into them. Never before had any of them seen the alchemist react like that. Usually, he was the level headed one in their group and did his best to keep tabs on his anger. But whatever Henry had done, it was enough to make him snap. At least until he started chuckling madly and talking to himself, that is.

"Oh, this is just perfect." he sighed giving an angry smile with his back turned to the others, "All these years of planning, and lying…now, it's ruined because of the brat. It's good…it's good…ah…and you know what? This is just the cherry on top of the crap sundae that is my life, as of late."

Not even twitching, he used his alchemy to create a large hole in the wall next to the others while he continued madly laugh and mutter to himself before walking over to stand on its ledge looking down at the city below.

"Not a finger!" he shouted at them before jumping out the hole on the top floor. As he fell like a rock, the people beneath him started crying out in fear thinking that he was committing suicide. But the moment his boots barely touched the ground, he transmuted himself all the way to Storybrooke and back to the mansion.

"Henry?" Emma asked in concern as she saw her son pick himself up and run out the room.

"I'll make sure he doesn't go far." Violet said going after him.

"Storybrooke." Regina said getting over what her brother just did, "Henry rid it of its magic. What happened to it?"

"Storybrooke survived for twenty-eight years without magic. I'm sure it can manage a few more." Gold replied.

"Then what the hell was Nicholas so riled up about?!" Emma snapped gesturing to the wall, "You said it would be destroyed."

"Yes, when I had to motivate you to find your wayward son." he hissed, "And as for Flamel, I couldn't care less about what's going on in that empty head of his."

"What should we do?" Emma asked Regina, "Call the police? See how he does without his powers in a real prison?"

"That's an excellent idea." Regina agreed.

"Not if you want my help finding the one person who may still have magic." Rumple retorted.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked at her wits end, "You said this was a land without magic!"

"It is. And it isn't." he replied.

"Enough with the riddles. Who has magic?" she demanded.

"Well, for that answer, it looks like we're just gonna have to learn to work together now. Especially since you're an alchemist down now."

"Alright." Regina sighed, "I'll go with Gold and make sure he keeps his hands off this crystal. You find Henry. We'll worry about Nicholas when we get home."

Outside the hotel at a nearby fountain, Emma found her son sulking while his girlfriend tried to console him. "Hey." she greeted before asking Violet, "Can we have a second?"

"Of course." she nodded giving them some space.

"Does that hurt?" Emma asked looking at Henry's red cheek and bloody lip.

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked,

"Because when we lived in New York, this is where we came when you were upset." she gently reminded, "And I'd give you a penny and tell you to wish your problems away. Remember? What do you say? Want to give it a try?"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but that's not gonna make me feel better now." Henry shrugged off.

"Hey," she said putting her hand on his shoulder, "Don't let what your uncle said get you down."

"But he was right." Henry debated miserably, "I did only think about myself because I just wanted things to be normal again. When we lived here, there wasn't any magic. We didn't even know it existed. And, Mom, we were happy."

"We were." she nodded, "And I wouldn't trade that time for anything. But you're forgetting something. It was just the two of us. Then Nicholas came and found us, and now-"

"Yeah." he interrupted, "And that's why I thought if I destroyed magic in Storybrooke that we could all be happy like you and I were. But because of what I did, we'll never even see half our family again."

"That may not be true." Emma disagreed, "Your mom is with Gold trying to find a way. Should we see if they had any luck?"

Making their way through China Town, Regina and Gold had a conversation of their own. "Why didn't you believe me when I told you I wanted to help you?" Regina asked.

"Wondering if you've lost your edge?" Gold scoffed, "Or hoping you finally managed to bury the Evil Queen deep enough inside that I wouldn't buy it?"

"Don't try to psychoanalyze me." Regina sneered.

"Look. Let me give you a friendly piece of advice." Rumple offered, "Partitioning the darkness inside will not help you become the woman you want to be."

"It worked so far." she challenged.

"Has it?" he asked, "You know, I once thought I could contain the darkness to one tiny corner of my soul. First for Baelfire, then for Belle. And I always failed. Do you want to know why? Because I like the darkness. It's as much who I am as the light. Why can't you seem to grasp it's not either/or?"

"Because I'm not like you." Regina shot back, "I don't like the darkness."

"You can tell yourself what you like. But deep down, the Evil Queen is who you are. And the more you keep her locked inside, the more you're gonna suffer." Rumple warned as they reached a little oriental market.

"What the hell is this place?" she asked as the owner approached them with a friendly smile.

"Greetings. What brings you to my humble shop?" he asked.

"Well, we're in the market for something a little more powerful than what you have on display." Gold replied.

"If you mean narcotics, I'm just a simple herbalist."

"I don't think so. Regina, meet The Dragon." Rumple introduced, "Good to see you're breathing again. I hear one of my father's minions paid you a visit."

"Peter Pan was powerful, but I am resilient." Dragon replied with a sly smirk, "I assume you're here because you want something, Rumplestiltskin. But I'm afraid I'm not in the business of helping hearts filled with such darkness; Human Sacrifice or not."

"How do you know about that?" Regina asked.

"But you, you will help." he informed, "I see a noble battle deep inside your soul, Regina, between light and dark. Much like the one your brother waged within himself many years ago when he was still a boy. And for that, I will do my best to aid you. It is imperative you win for all of us."

 **OUaT**

"Did we lose him?" David asked as they stopped to catch their breaths.

"Not for long." Hook panted, "What I wouldn't give to have a sword right about now."

"I hate to break it to you, Captain." Jekyll said coming around the corner menacingly, "But a sword is only as useful as the skills of the one whom wields it. And none of you have the skills necessary to defeat me."

"But I do!" a voice shouted behind him. They all saw Harold staring Jekyll down with a vial of blue liquid held tightly in his hand.

"Finally picking up the courage to drink it, are we?" Jekyll asked in amusement.

"I am done living in your shadow!" he shouted as he shook with anger before showing them a vial with red liquid, "And this one! This one will truly be the cure for ridding one of their darkness!"

"Oh, Harold." Jekyll sighed shaking his head, "You may be a doctor with the name of Jekyll, but everyone knows you're not _the_ Dr. Jekyll."

"David?" Snow asked growing nervous.

"Yeah." he nodded, "I heard him."

"No!" Harold shouted stomping his foot, "I will prove to everyone that my formula is superior to yours!"

Knocking back the blue serum, Harold threw the vial on the ground and made everyone watch as he transformed into a taller, stronger, handsomer version of himself with a long scar down the right side of his face.

"Now then," Harold said with a deeper, smoother voice, "Shall we begin?"

"Let's." Jekyll nodded raising his fists. Taking the first swing, Harold tried to sucker punch the doctor only to have it waved off before being punched in the throat, kneed to the stomach, elbow struck in the jaw, lifted over Jekyll's shoulder, thrown to the ground and punched in the heart.

"Is that the best you can do, cousin?" he asked unimpressed as the transformed man struggled to breath at his feet. "Now then, shall we all return to the prison?"

"Not a chance." David declared as they all stood their ground.

"Such a shame." Jekyll said clicking his tongue before shooting up his fists, ready for more. But as soon as he did, a sharp whistle from the rooftop above alerted him. Looking up, he saw Nicholas of all people jump down in front of him.

"Nicholas?" Zelena asked in shock.

"What the hell?" Snow asked.

"How did he get here?" Ariel asked as they hugged and patted each other on the back happily.

"The time has come, Dr. Jekyll." he said looking his old friend in the eyes with his hands on his shoulders, "The Promised Day is upon us."

"Then what are we standing around here for?" Jekyll laughed before crushing a transport rock and vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

"Okay," Hook said shaking his head, "I am bloody beyond lost, right now."

 **OUaT**

After calling the others over to the shop, Regina, Gold, Emma and the two teenagers gathered around a chalice in the back of the Dragon's shop while he placed a lotus flower on the water showing everyone their missing family members.

"There." Regina said pointing at them, "Look. Where the hell is that?"

"Wherever it is, they're in trouble." Emma realized.

"We need to get through so we can help them." Regina said to the old man. But when he tried to open a portal, his strength failed and the magic ended.

"I'm afraid opening a portal to that realm is beyond my current power." he panted.

"You can't give up." Henry stressed, "My family, they're in trouble."

"I've done all I can." Dragon replied, "But you, you haven't."

"Me?" he asked.

"All of you." Dragon said to them, "Just because the boy destroyed Storybrooke's magic doesn't mean there isn't any in this world."

"Oh, really?" Regina asked skeptically, "Because I think there's a reason they call this place The Land Without Magic."

"Yes, because that's how it appears." he nodded, "There's magic everywhere if you're willing to see it."

"That sounds an awful lot like something a friend told me a long time ago." Emma said as the memory tugged at her brain.

"August?" he asked knowing the answer, "Yes. I know who you are, Savior. And what you shall be used as in the days to come. If you want to find magic, remember what he taught you."

"You have to believe." she said.

"So, how do you suggest we do that?" Rumple asked, "After all, saying you believe doesn't make it so."

"I know how." Henry said before taking them to the fountain he was at earlier.

"How is that going to help us?" Regina asked as they stared at the fountain.

"Because there's magic in it." he explained, "Every time someone makes a wish."

"I don't think throwing a coin in a fountain is what the Dragon was talking about." Rumple said skeptically at his grandson's idea.

"All due respect, Grandpa," Henry said hotly, "But I think that was exactly what he was talking about. Mom, when we were living in New York, do you remember the last time you took me here?"

"Yeah. I don't know." she replied, "You were upset about something. Maybe something at school?"

"It was because of you." he replied, "I could tell you were lonely, so I wished our family would be complete, and do you know what happened a few days later?"

"Nicholas came to New York, hacked that dating site you set me up on and we had our first date and it eventually led us to being reunited with our family." Emma realized.

"There was magic. It was right here. We just didn't know it. Don't you see? We just need to wish they were back." he stressed before tossing a coin in making a wish, "I wish we were reunited with our family."

The moment the coin splashed in the water, the Olympian Crystal in Regina's hand began to glow at the source of magic. "Come on." he said to them, "It can't just be me. Everybody make a wish. I promise, it will work."

"Okay, kid." Emma smiled as they all made their wishes while the crystal grew brighter.

"Sometimes, that boy surprises me." Rumple said fondly as he made his wish. Seeing that it wasn't enough, Henry decided to convince all the people around them to make wishes of their own and toss their coins into the fountain.

With more than enough magic fueling their wishes, the rest of their missing family was brought before them in a torrent of water. But as they all hugged happy to see one another, the crowd started cheering as they believed it to be nothing more than an act. Not long after, they decided to rest up at Neal's apartment before heading back home. Regina, however, decided to take some time alone on the roof; that is until Snow and Emma joined her.

"So, how exactly is this going to help Regina get rid of the Evil Queen?" Emma asked.

"When we were in the Land of Untold Stories, this guy, this other Jekyll, he said that his formula was the cure for ridding someone of their darkness." Snow explained as she pulled out the red vial, "And just in case it worked and we needed it, I took some after Nicholas ran off with the warden."

"Still a bandit after all these years." Regina smirked.

"I don't understand, though." Emma said, "How do they know each other? And what the hell is this League and Promised Day they were talking about?"

"I don't know, but I have feeling that he's gonna tell us when we get home; one way or another." Regina replied looking at the serum, "You think it'll work?"

"I think, this could be the end of the Evil Queen once and for all, as long as you're sure that's what you want." Emma replied.

"I want her gone." Regina nodded.

"Then let's get rid of her." Snow declared, "Let's be the family we were always meant to be. All of us."

"Go downstairs." Regina advised.

"I'm staying." Emma denied.

"I'm staying, too." Snow nodded, "I was there when the Evil Queen was born. I kind of helped bring her into the world. I want to see you end her."

Seeing that there was no point in arguing, Regina nodded as she uncorked the vial. "Get ready to stand back, because I have a feeling we're about to meet a very angry queen, and she didn't like you on a good day. Emma?"

"I'm ready." she nodded.

"Cheers." Regina said before downing the serum, "Guh!"

"What is it, what's wrong?" Snow asked in concern.

"That tastes like cat pee mixed with Kool-Aid." she replied bluntly before the effects kicked in. Literally tearing herself away from her so-called better half, the Evil Queen dressed in one of her intimidating gowns glared at her counterpart in hatred; if she even had another expression, that is.

"Look at what you've become." she said in disgust before trying to grab her throat only to be bound in magical chains by Emma.

"Regina, now's your chance." Emma advised, "Destroy her."

"You destroy me?" the queen chuckled, "You don't have what it takes. You're weak. No matter what you do, you can't destroy our darkness. Deep down inside, you know the truth. You need me."

"No. I don't." Regina said having slowly approached her alter ego. She then plunged her hand into her chest and tore out the queen's heart ready to crush it. "I'm sorry."

When the heart was reduced to dust, so was the Evil Queen. Now, Regina stood there shaking as her friends gave her looks of sympathy before they comforted her. The sun had begun to set by the time they reached Storybrooke, and the moment they exited their cars, Emma spoke to them all.

"Okay, guys, I know we've had a long day, but if we're ever gonna get any answers, we need to find Nicholas if he's here in town." she instructed.

"Okay, Snow and I will check out the woods." David nodded.

"Aye, and Ariel and I will check by the pier." Hook nodded.

"That won't be necessary." Nicholas said to them standing before them. Instead of his usual, semi-casual wardrobe of jeans, a vest and tie and a dress shirt, he was now wearing clothes similar to what he wore back in the alternate dimension of the Enchanted Forest Isaac created. Black leather pants with a matching jacket under a leather, hooded trench coat as red as blood with a simple, black version of his tattoo on the back along with his flame alchemy gloves, combat boots and a black chest guard over his jacket. All in all, he looked very intimidating, especially with the harden expression on his face.

"Nicholas?" Regina asked before scoffing, "What the hell are you wearing?"

"Oh, we can't all pull off the pantsuit-look, Regina." he said dryly.

"Where is my wife?" Gold snarled angrily.

"She's safe." he replied showing little emotion, "And still inside that box of yours. But if you want her back, and if the rest of you want answers, you'll have to come with me."

As he said this, a long, white limo pulled up behind him with the doors opening in anticipation. "Where would you be taking us?" Emma asked.

"Some place you think you know, but in reality know nearly nothing about. Much like with me." he said gently stroking her face with his gloved hand.

"And why should we?" David asked not trusting his old friend after what he saw in the Land of Untold Stories.

"Because if you don't do it voluntarily, I shall have to force all of you." he replied flatly before narrowing his eyes and sending chills down their spines, "Is that what you want?"

Seeing how serious the alchemist was, everyone reluctantly entered the car with Nicholas sitting across Emma, Regina, Snow and David. "Take it away, Ishmael." he said to the driver.

"Aye, sir." the first mate nodded as he began to drive.

"So, where exactly are you taking us?" Snow asked.

"You'll see. Soon all your questions will be answered and then, well, then our work begins." Nicholas replied mysteriously, "First things first. My boss wants to speak with everyone in person when I explain everything."

"Your boss?" Regina asked, "Since when do you have a boss?"

"All in due time, Regina. Just be patient." he replied. Not long after, the limo pulled up to the front steps of the mansion and parked for the passengers to get out.

"The Sorcerer's Mansion?" Emma asked, "What are we doing here?"

"It's not the Sorcerer's Mansion, Emma." Nicholas corrected as he headed towards the doors and opened them.

"Well, then who the bloody hell's is it?" Hook asked.

"It's our base here in Storybrooke." he answered as they walked in. After everyone entered, Nicholas pressed button hidden underneath a table by the door. Once he did, the floor before the fireplace opened and revealed a dusty flight of stairs riddled with cobwebs.

"Sorry about the dust." he apologized, "We usually just take the secret elevator in the fireplace. But seeing as all of you are tagging along this time, we have to take the guest entrance."

"Nicholas, what the hell is going on?" Emma asked, "You're not making any sense."

"I know." he replied nonchalantly as he turned on an old gas lamp in the upper corner of the tunnel which activated about a dozen more lighting the way. "There have been times when the realms have required the use of…singular individuals. People who possess tremendous power unmatched by anyone else. Banded together in groups of seven, they've taken on and eliminated threats that proved to be too powerful for the stories' heroes to defeat themselves. Be they hero or villain, monarch or peasant, when asked, they would answer the call. It has been that way for over a thousand years; depending on the realm. Hidden in plain sight to fight for the stability and freedom of all realms, we have acted as the protectors of the oppressed when they cannot protect themselves."

" _We_?" Emma asked as they reached a set of iron doors which her boyfriend opened for them.

"Qui." he said jokingly as they entered the meeting room, "You've all been dying to know my secrets for quite some time, no? Well, here's the biggest one of them all."

With anticipation, they looked at him as he turned to face them with his arms stretched open, gesturing to everything around them. Dropping his arms, the Immortal Alchemist finally confessed to his friends and family; and Gold.

"I am a member of a secret society dedicated to protecting and defending those who cannot help themselves. We are the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

 **WHOO-HOO! We're finally here, baby! After a year's worth of writing, we've finally made it to the beginning of the Promised Day saga! I wanna thank everyone who's been patiently waiting for this and I look forward to your feedback. But before we all sign off, I just wanna do a recap.**

 **Yes, Nicholas was dressed similar to Edward Elric from FMAB. This is typically what he wears when he does missions for the League. And if anybody was shocked when he lashed out against Henry, we'll get into that in the next chapter, but it's pretty obvious what happened. Fair warning, we're going to be seeing a much dark side of Nicholas now, one he's been hiding from the others for a very long time.**

 **Oh, and like the other members, Jekyll is being played by the same man who played him in the old LXG movie.**

 **Aside from that, truths will be revealed in the next chapter, so if you want to know them as much as Emma and the others do, stay tuned!**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you thought. Your feedback gives me motivation and if you have and questions or suggestions, leave a review or PM me. See ya!**


	69. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

"The what?" Emma bluntly asked as they all stared at Nicholas, completely baffled.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." he repeated, "Think of it as like a…covert opps agency filled with people considered as fictional characters."

"Like a spy agency?" David asked.

"We do some reconnaissance in our missions every now and then, but for the most part, we're just professional killers." Nicholas replied, "Which reminds me, boss wants him and the others to be here when I start answering all your guys' questions. Wait here, I'll go get them. And don't touch anything!"

"You're just gonna leave us here?!" Emma asked as he wandered off into another room.

"This was definitely not what I was expecting." Regina said bluntly as they all started looking around.

"Who would expect to hear that their younger brother was actually apart of some secret organization?" Zelena asked just as surprised.

"Killy, have ever heard about this League or whatever?" Ariel asked.

"Never." he said shaking his head.

"Neither have I." Gold added surprising most of them, "And that's what's making me angry aside from that alchemist holding my wife hostage."

"I wonder who this 'boss' of his is?" David asked right before his wife yelped covering her ass.

"David!" she scolded before muttering, "Not now."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You-you pinched me." she said trying to be discreet.

"Ew, Dad!" Emma cringed.

"Gramps!" Henry complained.

"No, I didn't!" he defended blushing.

"Gah!" Ariel shrieked, "K-Killian!"

"Love, I'm over here." Hook said on the other side of the room.

"Okay, if anyone pinches me, I'm gonna start tearing some hearts out." Regina warned.

"Ah, no need to be a spoil sport, Gina." Skinner said not wearing anything.

"Who said that?" she asked only to have her hair ruffled.

"Me." he said backing away from her swing.

"Ah, come on, Skinner." Sawyer chastised from the floor above before jumping over and landing in one of the seats by the fireplace, "Stop being a pervert. Show some restraint."

"You should be proud of me," Skinner defended, "I've been resisting the urge to grab that royal, ivory ass of hers for almost thirty-one years. The little mermaid, however, was an added bonus."

"Can someone please tell me who or what just grabbed my ass?!" Snow exclaimed.

"Rodney Skinner," Skinner introduced as he put on his coat, "Gentlemen Thief, and the Invisible Man."

"Invisible, nudist pervert would be more accurate." Sawyer mocked.

"Hey!" Skinner shouted grabbing his hat.

"Wait a minute," Emma said pointing at Sawyer, "You. You're that guy from the boathouse."

"Wow," he nodded, "I'm actually surprised you'd remember me after all this time. Don't worry, you'll find that I'm much more of a gentleman than face cream over there."

"I don't know how you can say that considering you were the one who snuck in and held a gun to Belle's head while she slept a few weeks ago." Skinner shot back as he applied his lotion to make his face visible.

"Why? Why would you say that in front of the freaking Dark One?" Sawyer laughed wanting to strangle his friend.

"Well," Gold smirked darkly as he tried to magically choke Sawyer, "Now I know who to kill."

Grasping his neck and gasping for life, Sawyer's eyes rolled to the back of his head before relaxing in his chair with an amused look. "Just kidding. That's not gonna work." he smirked.

"What?" Rumple asked looking at his hand in confusion before Sawyer kneed him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Maybe next time, try not to kill a professional killer in his own home." he said in his ear patting his back.

"So just who are you?" Regina asked.

"LXG Special Agent Tom Sawyer." he introduced with a cocky smile.

"LXG?" she asked.

"It stands for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." Mina replied as she joined them with Nemo.

"Killian Jones." Nemo nodded with a small smile, "What a nice surprise."

"Nemo?" Hook asked in shock.

"You know him?" Ariel asked.

"Aye," her husband nodded, "We met some time ago. You're a part of this, too?"

"Indeed," he nodded, "I'm second in command of this branch of the League."

"Look, all I'm saying is that it's nice place. You should stick around." Nicholas said as he came back in with Jekyll.

"If I can, I will." Jekyll replied chuckling, "But I don't know if the director will let me."

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Zelena asked pointing at Jekyll.

"Zelena, it's fine!" her brother chuckled, "He's a friend and a member of our branch. Hey, have you guys seen Quartermain?"

"He's in his room." Mina replied, "Should I fetch him?"

"Nah, I'll get him." Nicholas said heading upstairs.

Sitting alone in the darkness of his room, Quartermain was surrounded by all sorts of strange objects; all of which seemed to revolve around voodoo. Several masks, some masquerade others African to resemble animals, hung from the ceiling while various shrunken heads and poorly made voodoo dolls were on the shelves; on some of them even had snakes and alligator heads stuffed into large jars filled with brine. However, he wasn't paying any of these peculiar things any attention, he was more wrapped in his own thoughts as he stared at an old portrait of a beautiful blonde woman and young boy kept in a gold locket around his neck.

"Boss?" Nicholas asked knocking on the door.

"What?" he gruffly asked.

"Uh, Emma and the others are here. We're ready to start explaining everything to them."

"Very good." Quartermain sighed tucking the locket under his shirt before exiting the room, "How much have you told them, already?"

"Not much." Nicholas replied, "All I've done was give them a brief synopsis of what the League does and that I was a part of it. Aside from that, they've met the others. I'll introduce you all when we join them."

"And the boy?" he asked.

"Leave Henry to me." Nicholas replied trying to control his anger.

"That brat nephew of yours managed to ruin a large portion of our plans today."

"Hey." the alchemist warned coming to a stop, "He may have screwed us over, but that boy is still my nephew. Don't call him a brat; only I can say that."

"You're right." Quartermain admitted patting Nicholas' shoulder, "I over stepped."

Ruining the moment, he smacked his subordinate upside the head hard than usual. "What'd you do that for?!"

"That was for thinking you could tell me off. And for not knocking some more sense into that boy of yours, which would have saved us the trouble from pulling our asses out of yet another mess!" Quartermain snapped as he stormed off downstairs.

"Why is it that everything I do earns me a head-slap from you?" Nicholas loudly asked chasing after the grumpy, old hunter as they joined everyone else, "Seriously, boss!"

"You just stay away from my wife!" David warned pointing at Skinner.

"Aye, same goes for mine!" Hook nodded.

"You see?" Mina asked, "This is what happens when you act like yourself."

"And here I was hoping he would mature after all these years." Jekyll sighed shaking his head.

"Really?" Sawyer asked, "I mean…it's, well, it's Skinner."

"I know, but a man can have hopes, can't he?" he asked.

"But for Skinner?" Sawyer asked.

"Well…"

"Jekyll, my old friend," Nemo said gently, "He's a lost cause. Let it go."

"What the hell?!" Skinner cried, "Why is everyone such a bloody prick to me?!"

"You just groped two married women!" they shouted.

"Eh, que sera, sera, sera." Skinner shrugged as he took a seat.

"That guy's like family to you?!" Emma asked her boyfriend.

"Yeah," Nicholas trailed unsure of his answer, "He's an ass, I know."

"So," Regina said hoping to change the subject, "You're the 'boss', huh?"

"Uh, that's just what Sawyer and I call him, sis. Okay, now that we're all here, guys, these are my fellow LXG agents and teammates." Nicholas began as he gestured to each of his friends, "Our espionage expert and master spy, seventh seat: Agent Tom Sawyer. Our ever annoying and sleazy combat specialist, sixth seat: Agent Rodney Skinner a.k.a. the Invisible Man. Our chief bio-expert, fifth seat: Agent Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde."

"And our go-to for undercover assignments/chief strategist, fourth seat: Nicholas Flamel a.k.a. the Immortal Alchemist." Sawyer chimed in.

"Thanks," Nicholas said dryly after being interrupted, "As I was saying, our chemist and head of research/third-in-command, third seat: Vampiric Empress, Agent/Dr. Mina Harker. Our troops commander and all around genius in practically every field, and our second-in-command, second seat: Agent Captain Nemo of the Nautilus; who also happens to be Ursula's husband."

"Wait, what?" Emma asked.

"Finally," Nicholas continued ignoring her question, "The leader of this branch and senior field agent, first seat: Allan Quartermain. Together, we make the number one branch in the entire League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. So, who's got a question?"

"How long have you been hiding this?" Regina asked almost frantically before anyone else could speak.

"Hmm," Nicholas pondered, "Well, I officially joined the League about two years after I returned home from Xerxes. But I met one of its agents just before I left Arendelle."

"So, all this time?" Snow asked.

"Yep." he nodded.

"The disappearances?" David asked.

"Yep."

"The secrets?" Hook asked.

"Yep."

"That time you got shot in the head over and over again?" Emma asked.

"You can thank these two for that." he replied with a sour look jerking his thumbs at Sawyer and Quartermain.

"That's what you get for throwing a temper tantrum." Quartermain remarked.

"Temper tan-my mother was murdered!" Nicholas defended.

"Can we get back on topic, please?" Zelena asked, "Why are we here?"

"Now that, sister dear, is the most important question of them all." Nicholas replied, "As I said last night at the wake, Storybrooke will be facing a new threat very soon. One that puts all the others to shame, and it comes back to me."

"You?" Regina asked.

"Yes. You see, Regina, I didn't tell you and our parents everything about my time as a slave. All I did was sum up the first six or seven years. It's what happened the last four or so that changed everything. That experiment I told you about, the one you were shown, Emma, it was once considered to be one of the most difficult alchemic procedures known to man. I was nothing more than a resource used to complete it."

"What was it for?" Emma asked.

"It was used to create a Homunculus." he replied sending chills down their spines, "Not like the Homunculus we ran into in the Underworld. That one was a different breed of Homunculi. The one my master created was born of my blood and was no more than just a very knowledgeable spec in a flask. Out of gratitude for me being the source of its life, it wanted to repay me."

"R-repay you?" Emma asked.

"Hmm," he nodded, "He was the one who gave me the name 'Nicholas Flamel' on account of his disliking of addressing me by my slave number."

"That's it?" David asked, "He-he just gave you a name?"

"Oh, no." Nicholas corrected shaking his head, "He did far more than that. Everything I know, everything I know about alchemy, reading, writing, mathematics, economics, anatomy, astronomy, physiology, psychology cultural understandings, social interactions, everything that makes me _Nicholas Flamel_ , he taught me. His second gift to me, in gratitude for giving him my blood, was knowledge. Pure, unbiased, unaltered knowledge. And, he gave me my Philosopher's Stone, and my immortality."

"How?" Emma asked.

"Perhaps," he said taking a dreamcatcher out from a nearby chest, "It would be best to show all of you rather than just explain it. If you would? I will warn all of you, it is…gut wrenchingly horrific."

Hesitating after hearing his words, Emma nodded and used her magic to release the memory into their minds. It didn't take two seconds for each of them to start cringing at the horrors of Nicholas' past. It wasn't everything he went through in that desert, mind you. Just from the day he was experimented on to when he met the Dwarf in the Flask to when their Stones were created and the following morning.

"It's terrible, isn't?" he asked when they finished seeing his past, "Try having to relive that and a whole bunch of other traumatic memories over and over and over again for nearly fifty years. It'll drive you insane."

"Nicholas," Hook gasped, "Mate…just who-who are you?"

"Who am I?" he asked lowly, "That answer has been obvious to all of you for a very long time. I am a Philosopher's Stone in the form of a man. That's _what_ I am. And I didn't show all that, or confess to you my biggest secret for just the sake of getting it off my chest. We're facing the big one this time. That look-alike of me, the Dwarf in the Flask, he's our next big threat."

"…The Promised Day?" Emma asked.

"Yes." Nicholas nodded, "How do you know about that? Did the souls tell you that, too?"

"Sang it, actually?" she replied.

"Sang it?" he asked himself, "Why the hell would they sing it?"

"Yeah, we heard about it, too." David jumped in, "Some weirdo in the Land of Untold stories was warning everyone about it. What is it?"

"Eh," Nicholas trailed looking at the other agents nervously, "I don't think I can tell you."

"You just said that you would tell us everything!" Regina snapped.

"I know." Nicholas gently defended, "Listen. It's not exactly easy to explain. It's a very complicated matter that only really sinks in if you understand it, and you'd have to be an alchemist like me to understand it after the first explanation; took me almost five years to explain the severity of it all to these guys. All you need to know is who we're up against, and who is involved."

"And just who might that be?" Gold asked.

"Well, like I told you at the hotel, it's you, me, Emma and Zelena." he replied.

"No," Regina remembered, "You said Maleficent, too."

"Well, that was the case until _Henry_ ," her brother hissed glaring at his nephew as he got up to the boy's face almost breathing fire he was so angry, "Decided to take matters into his own hands and attempt to get rid of magic."

"What are you saying?" Ariel asked.

"I'm saying that thanks to Henry, and his stupid idea, Maleficent is dead; again." Nicholas replied shocking them all.

"What?" Henry asked softly, "H-h-h-how?"

"When you so naively decided to destroy Storybrooke's magic, you neglected to think of how it might affect others if you did." Mina replied as she and the others, including Nicholas, glared at him, "Magic was the only thing keeping Maleficent alive; it was more necessary to her than oxygen is for us. And when you destroyed it, she crumbled into a pile of dust."

"And now," Quartermain growled, "Thanks to you, boy, we are down a Human Sacrifice."

"You should consider yourself very lucky, brat." Skinner added, "Were you anyone else's nephew, we probably would have killed you the moment you crossed the town line."

"Hey!" Emma defended, "You threaten my son, and you're the next one who dies."

"Bring it on, Savior." he challenged popping his neck, "I dare you."

"Enough!" Nicholas snapped, "Skinner does have a point, Emma. Me being Henry's uncle is the only reason he gets to live."

"How can you say that?" she asked baffled.

"Because," he snarled grabbing her shoulders tightly, "His idiotic actions have thrown nearly everything we have planned off balance! Hey, Henry, I've got a question for you. Did you know that the fairies have been using their magic to help people over at the hospital? They use it to heal patients in critical condition who don't have a chance at survival even with the best treatment the hospital provides. Children, infants, the elderly, anyone they believe to be in need of their help. Do you know what could have happened if they were in the middle of doing such things? More people would be dead! And maybe they are!"

At this point, Henry was trying to shrink away from his uncle's fury. He hated to even think it, but he was right. He hadn't thought of how getting rid of magic might affect everyone else in town, all he cared about was trying to make his life easier so he wouldn't have to suffer alongside his family anymore. Not that he would admit that anytime soon. He was still a teenager and far too stubborn like his mothers to verbally acknowledge his mistake; especially to his uncle who slapped him just hours before, who was also still ranting.

"I cannot believe that you did such a foolish thing! You misused that pen to benefit yourself instead of allowing things to play out as they should have. You're no better than Isaac now!" Nicholas accused.

"I did what I had to to protect this family!" Henry shot back with a poor excuse.

"Oh, bull!" his uncle swatted off, "You only did that because you wanted to have your 'perfect little family' without any of the drama. This is exactly the same idiotic thinking you had when you tried to get rid of alchemy and magic. You ran off, worried us all half to death, and then you nearly got yourself _killed_ with all that dynamite! If Regina and I hadn't found you when we did, you'd have been put six feet under at the age of eleven!"

"Stop calling me an idiot!" Henry choked on the verge of frustrated tears.

"Stop acting like one and I will!" he bellowed, "You know what? I'm done. I don't need to explain this any further to you, 'cause you are grounded! And another thing."

Grabbing the boy's collar, Nicholas dug his hand around his nephew's coat pockets in search of his pen before pulling it out and storming over to a nearby end table. "What are you doing?" Henry asked as his uncle opened a pencil case, put the pen in and slammed it closed. When Henry opened it, he found that his enchanted quill was no longer inside. "What did you do?!"

"Until you can prove to me that you're responsible enough to wield that kind of power, you are never seeing that pen again." Nicholas replied as he dug out a transport rock and crushed it in his fist, "I have never been more disappointed in you."

Before anyone could protest, Nicholas threw the dust at his nephew's feet and watched as he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. His mothers and grandparents, obviously, were shocked and rather unhappy at the alchemist's actions and therefor let him know what they thought.

"What did you do?!" David shouted.

"Cool your crook, sheep boy." Nicholas said rolling his eyes, "I just sent him to his room, which also happens to be locked by my alchemy. You can let him out when you get home, but until then, you'll stay here and listen."

"And what makes you think I won't just let the boy out myself from here?" Gold asked.

"Because we still have this." Jekyll reminded holding up the box containing Belle.

"So you did take her." Rumple softly growled in anger.

"Only because you let her slip through your fingers and into mine." the doctor countered as he jiggled the box before releasing Belle onto the nearest couch, "Now, we can do this in one of two ways, we keep your wife in here for her own protection, or we wake her up and you risk losing her and your child on the Promised Day."

"You can't wake her up." Rumple denied, "Only true love's kiss can-"

As he debated Jekyll's claim, Quartermain lazily snapped his fingers which caused Belle to jolt awake with a loud gasp. "Wha-wha-Rumple?" she asked in a daze.

"Belle?" he asked not knowing whether to be happy or confused as he kneeled at her side.

"What-what's going on?" she asked as she saw the strangers around her, "Who-who are these people?"

"It doesn't matter." Rumple said with a happy smile, "All that matters is that you're awake and that both the contract and Hades are gone. Now we can be a proper family."

But his happy thoughts and promises were interrupted by Quartermain shoving him away before clapping once in Belle's face causing her to fall back asleep.

"Belle?" he asked taking her limp hand as she slept, "No, no, no, no."

"As you can you see," Quartermain said in a bored tone, "Waking her up and putting your wife back to sleep is of little effort to us. And considering that you are unable to wake her yourself, and that you owe my subordinate a favor, it's in her best interests for you to cooperate."

"Indeed." Nicholas nodded, "Which brings me to our next point of discussion. Myself and the three I mentioned are marked as Human Sacrifices for this upcoming threat. What the Homunculi plan to do with us, I'm not sure I can fully explain."

"Why us?" Zelena asked, "Why not anyone else?"

"That I can explain." her brother replied, "The four of us, and Maleficent, have/had one thing in common which makes us sacrifices. We've all had our bodies deconstructed and then reconstructed again with our powers intact or we managed to gain more in the process. It happened to me when I was given my Philosopher's Stone. Gold, it happened to you twice, when you first became the Dark One and when your late son brought you back to life. However, when Emma became the Dark One, she took your place. At the time, the Apprentice was one of the other sacrifices on account of being absorbed into the Hat, but after he died, we were one short until you regained your powers. At that point, Emma took my place until she returned my stone to me and when she did, all five were accounted for once again. As for you, Zelena, you became one when Gold destroyed your body and you made yourself a new one in the past in addition to your magic no longer being restrained to your pendant. Maleficent qualified when Cruella and Ursula resurrected her, but like I said, she's dead again so we're one short."

"But isn't that a good thing?" Hook asked.

"No. And the reason why is if there is another person out there who does qualify for human sacrifice, we have no way in knowing who they are and whether or not they'd be willing to help us or the Homunculi." Nicholas replied.

"Homunculi?" Ariel asked.

"That's the proper way to address more than one Homunculus." he clarified.

"Just how many are there?" Snow asked.

"Well, if Lust's name was any indication, counting the Dwarf in the Flask, seven." Nicholas estimated, "I don't know how he did it, but he managed to split himself from his seven desires, and each one of them most likely has one of my abilities. Lust had my Ultimate Spear, so chances are her siblings have my shield, shadows, transformation ability, super-speed, super-human strength and reflexes and another power that I'd rather not demonstrate because it's disgusting and painful. And their father will have the same alchemy advantages as I do, if I were to guess."

"Father?" David asked, "Siblings?"

"When I first ran into Lust back in New York, she let it slip that she referred to the Dwarf in the Flask as her father; same for the other Homunculi as her siblings." he replied.

"So basically," Hook said dryly, "We're taking on seven split versions of you?"

"You're only half right. Yes, they are basically seven split versions of me. No, you're not taking them on, _we_ are." Nicholas corrected indicating to himself and his team, "Look, the only reason we decided to come out in the open like this and tell you guys is because unlike our other missions, we won't be able to keep any of this on the down low; and so you all know what we're dealing with in hopes that you won't meddle in our affairs. Because knowing you, Snow, you're already thinking that we should at least try to talk to them in hopes of establishing peace."

"Well, why not?" she asked ever the optimistic, "Why shouldn't we try to reason with them? I mean, you and this dwarf were friends, right?"

"There is no reasoning with them." he snapped, "These things despise humans. They see us the same way we look at ants. The only thing we're good for to them is our life energy fueling their Philosopher's Stones. You saw that look on his face after he wiped out Xerxes. Do you honestly think he's lost as much sleep over it as I have? They're all abominations that must be exterminated; and that's exactly what we're going to do."

"Can't we just leave town before they get here?" Emma asked, "I mean, why just stick around and wait for them to show up when we can get out of here and just wait awhile?"

"Oh, Emma," Nicholas sighed shaking his head, "You don't get it, do you? We're not waiting on them to show up, they're already here!"

"What?" almost all of them asked.

"Deep underground, even further than where Regina had Maleficent kept as a dragon, they've got a secret lair that's sealed off from the rest of the town. They've been here since the first curse and they returned when Snow and David cast the second one." he explained, "When the original curse first hit, I discovered it when I was looking around town for these guys."

"Why would you do that?" Regina asked.

"Let me ask you this. Don't you find it odd that you had no idea about any of this despite that you, as the caster of the first curse and creator of Storybrooke thus knowing everything about it and the people living here, had no knowledge about any of the Homunculi, their lair or this mansion and the people in it for that matter?" her brother asked, "That's because after you enacted the dark curse, some adjustments were made before it sent us here. The first being when the Homunculi managed to find a way to tweak it by making sure you didn't know about them or where they were hiding. The second was when Quartermain tweaked it to do the same, but for us and our base."

"…I don't believe it." Regina waved off thinking she was beginning to lose her mind.

"Believe it, because that's exactly what happened, Your Majesty." Mina quipped, "Fact is, we've been preparing for the Promised Day ever since Nicholas first told us about it. The only thing out of our control was who the remaining sacrifices would be and whether or not they'd be willing to assist us. As we speak, Nemo's crew is outside in the town preparing the defenses for the civilians for when the rest show up."

"I thought you just said they were already here?" David asked.

"You forgot to tell them the other part, Flamel." Quartermain reminded.

"The other part?" Nicholas asked in confusion before the memory returned, "Oh, yeah! Uh, there is one detail I forgot to mention. See, one of the Homunculi was created to help found a military structured country in another realm about forty years ago. Unfortunately, a small chunk of that country's forces will be coming here to provide their leader back up without knowing they're actually helping the Homunculi. Oh, and their weapons are equivalent to the same type of military warfare used in this realm during World War I."

"And so are the weapons my men use." Nemo added in hopes of reassuring them.

"And you're gonna take them on yourselves?" Emma asked not believing it, "Just the seven of you and a bunch of sailors?"

"Well, originally, it was going to be the seven of us and Agent Locksley along with our back up, but, well, you know…" Skinner trailed.

"Wait." Regina interrupted, "Agent Locksley?"

"Yeah, that's something else I wanted to talk to you about, sis." Nicholas said sheepishly rubbing his neck, "See the thing is, Robin was an agent of the League, as well. He was what we call a 'solo-field agent'. That means while he was an agent, he didn't belong to a branch like ours. He just worked with us when the second curse brought us all here. There's something else. Hook, Ariel, it's about how you two met. It didn't exactly happen the way you think."

"What are you talking about?" Ariel.

"I'm sorry, Ariel. But you see, Teach lied to you when he said he killed Eric before we made it to the Revenge." he confessed, "He was actually gagged and tied up to the crow's nest the whole time. He was actually a target."

"Hold on." Hook interrupted, "Are you saying that Blackbeard is a member of this bloody League, as well, mate?"

"I am." Nicholas nodded, "But Eric wasn't his target. He was actually Robin's. Teach was just looking out for the Jolly Roger as a favor to me when I contacted him a couple weeks before. I felt that I owed you one after all you did for us in Neverland, so I asked him to keep an eye on it. One thing led to another and I found out that Robin was hunting down Prince Eric."

"Why?" Ariel asked on the verge of tears, "Why would you do that?!"

"Ariel," the alchemist sighed, "Eric wasn't the man you thought he was. He was actually a sex-slave trader known to steal funds from his kingdom's treasury to flaunt on bartering women. When he found out you were a mermaid, you, uh, kind of became his biggest prize. He was gonna sell you off to the highest paying sleaze-bag, Ariel; and probably have his way with you, too."

"No." she denied shaking her head while crying into her husband's shoulders.

"I know it's hard to process or believe." he said gently, "But it's the truth. I led you guys to Blackbeard hoping you would grow close together along the way and maybe develop feelings for each other. Plus, I knew Hook had partial feelings for Emma back before the curse broke, so I hoped the two of you would help each other heal your broken hearts."

"And Eric?" Hook asked glaring at his friend while soothing his wife.

"We killed him about an hour after you left." he admitted, "Robin nearly begged Teach to let him use the Revenge's flamethrowers on that scumbag."

"I don't believe this." Regina denied, "There's no way Robin could be capable of such things."

"Tom," Nicholas addressed, "Show 'em."

Nodding his head, Sawyer went over and unveiled an intimidating portrait of Robin on the other side of the room. He was dressed in his Enchanted Forest clothes with all his weapons were on his person and his hood was up covering most of his threatening expression.

"It's kind of an unspoken tradition to paint portraits of deceased League members after they've died while on an assignment." Sawyer explained as Regina stared at the image of her late soul mate, "It's a real shame what happened to him, God rest his soul. I really feel bad for his son, too. Losing both your parents at such a young age? Poor thing."

"Wait," Emma interjected, "You said back up?"

"This mission is more severe than any other we've faced." Quartermain said, "We had to make a choice, either risk it all by taking it on ourselves, or swallow our pride and request the help of other agents."

"How many?" Hook asked.

"Three." Skinner replied.

"Dozen?!" Ariel asked nearly shrieking.

"No, just three." Mina clarified, "One agent alone is capable of toppling entire empires and their populations. We just need the extra muscle due to our most dangerous adversaries being partially immortal. Ten agents in all is more than enough."

"Captain!" Ishmael alerted from the level above, "We've just spotted three portal signatures outside the mansion."

"And that would be them, now." Nicholas smirked hoping off the table he was perched on, "You guys can come meet them, too, if you want. They're gonna be sticking around for the next few days until the big showdown so you might as well get acquainted."

Outside the mansion, three new strangers looked at their surroundings with various feelings. One impressed, one awed, and one not caring which way or the other because taking in the sights of a place that had a high chance of being destroyed in the next few days made absolutely no sense to them.

"So this is Storybrooke, eh? Not a bad place, I'll give it that."

"Si, amigo. And our camaradas' palacio es muy bien."

"Eh." one of them shrugged.

"And here I thought you'd be the most excited to see the place, you bearded bastard." Nicholas teased as he and his friends approached the newcomers.

"I was, but then I remembered that I would have to see your ugly face again, Flamel."

"Oh, that hurts." Nicholas chuckled clutching his heart, "That hurts me right here."

"Emma!" one of them greeted happily waving to the blonde.

"What the?!" Emma nearly yelled, "Gilles?! You're part of this crazy organization, too?!"

"Haha! Looks, like your friend isn't as excited to see you as you are her, eh, chico?"

"And just who the hell are they?" Zelena rudely asked.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce my friends and fellow LXG agents." Nicholas began, "This is Gilles de Rais a.k.a. Bluebeard; master exorcist and professional witch hunter."

"A pleasure to see you all again, upcoming disasters aside." Gilles greeted with a polite bow. He wore the same clothes he had on back in Camelot, but he seemed to be carrying more weapons than before, some of which resembled items normally seen in a church during Sunday mass.

"This one here is an agent I helped join the League during my first days on the job, Don Quixote de la Mancha; although, some people also refer to him as El Caballero Loco." Nicholas continued.

"Buenas Tardes." Quixote kindly greeted. He was an older man, looking roughly around the same age Rumple physically looked. He had long dark hair and a sharp mustache reaching to his chin, on top of his head was a strange bronze helmet that looked like a hubcap missing a chunk; at least to Emma it did. In addition to that, he wore bulky bronze armor and had a sword at his side and a long spear in his right hand. Behind him, they could all see an old gray horse eating a patch of grass with a heavy saddle on its back. He seemed nice, but if the other people they had met today were any indication, he was very dangerous and skilled killer just like the rest.

"Finally," Nicholas continued, "We have the sullen silent one here, Shan Yu of the great Koga plains. You'd probably remember him as the main antagonist from that old Mulan movie."

That much was certain. This Shan Yu looked exactly like how the Disney movie portrayed him; minus the gray skin and yellow eyes. He had many thick animal furs that made up his clothing and had long dark hair and a matching beard. Unlike the other two agents, however, this one was much like Quartermain as he gave off a 'I'd rather kill someone than talk' kind of disposition.

"Where is Quartermain?" he asked in a low, intimidating tone.

"He and the others are back inside." Nicholas replied still smirking playfully at his old colleague, "Come on. We've got much to talk about and less time than ever to do it."

 **OUaT**

Down in the depths of the Underworld, Lust wandered through the town with her spears extended anxiously as she searched for more souls to feed on. It wasn't exactly how she planned on spending the rest of eternity, but since she had no way out of the hellish version of Storybrooke, she was stuck. As the embodiment of her father's sin of lust, she wasn't much of a hopeful being, but wandering around aimlessly for the past two days made her feel hopeless. That is until the familiar sound of one of her brothers' voice filled the air.

"Lust!" Gluttony cried out happily as her ran over and hugged his sister.

"Gluttony?" she asked, "What are you doing down here? Did Flamel kill you, too?"

"Nuh-uh." he replied innocently, "Father sent me to bring you back! Isn't that wonderful?"

"He did, did he?" she asked giving a small wicked smirk, "Well, then, we mustn't keep him waiting."

"Right." Gluttony nodded before grotesquely opening his body to create a portal to take them back to the realm of the living. In said world, their father was sitting on his stone throne while reading an old textbook while the rest of his children were present.

"So, Pops," Greed said casually, "Just found out that your pal Nicholas brought over some of his League buddies today. Think we should do something about 'em?"

"In time, we will." Father replied turning the page, "Flamel wants to make such a big fuss on the Promised Day. Why not give him what he wants?"

"What should we do until then?" Envy asked munching on a piece of charred meat, "We're a sacrifice short now thanks to that pesky brat of his."

"Not quite." he replied shutting the book, "There happens to be another candidate for our needs out there. All we need to do is bring them here. Wrath, you will go and fetch them for me."

"Of course, Father." the Homunculus known as Wrath nodded. Unlike the other Homunculi, Wrath had the appearance of an older gentlemen with a mustache and an eye patch over his left eye in addition to wearing a black robe-like military uniform with a cavalry sword at his side like Nicholas'.

"What would you ask of me, Father?" a young boy wearing a black suit and tie with a white dress shirt underneath.

"We are still in need of one more crest of blood before the Promised Day arrives. Go stir up some trouble, Pride." Father ordered resting his head on his pale fist.

"It shall be done." Pride smirked as shadows identical to Nicholas' erupted behind him in the darkness.

"Very soon, Flamel." Father said to himself as he glanced over to the four chess pieces resting on the pentagram marked parchment, "Very soon from now, our story will finally reach its conclusion."

 **So, a lot happened in this chapter. You know, it took me a while to realize that Henry might have killed Maleficent when he got rid of Storybrooke's magic. I mean, if you think about it, and when she told Lily that she couldn't leave town without crumbling to dust, it seems like that would have been the outcome; you know, if she had been a regular on the show or if people actually remembered her character.**

 **Now then, you're all probably wondering who's playing who regarding the new characters I introduced, right? Well, here they are.**

 **LXG Agents** **Don Quixote- Danny Trejo**

 **Shan Yu- Masayoshi Haneda**

 **Homunculi**

 **Wrath- Tom Selleck**

 **Pride- Flynn Morrison**

 **As for the Dwarf in the Flask, try and picture Jensen Ackles, or who ever you imagine Nicholas as, with long hair and really pale skin. Also, I know I made it rough for Henry, but that was just a personal pet peeve of mine I had about his character. He pulled a lot of stupid stunts and was only ever disciplined by Regina when she was still feuding with Emma. Honestly, I hated how the rest of his family would coddle him instead of making him understand the consequences of his actions.**

 **One last thing before I'm done, my first day of school is less than a week from now, so updates are going to come at a slower pace; especially since, for a while at least, everything is going to be my own original work until we get to the Promised Day, from that point, all you FMAB fans know how it'll play out, with my own added twists, of course.**

 **Well, until next time, I hope you enjoyed, and please let me know what you thought. Your feedback gives me motivation. See ya!**


	70. Plans for War

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, FMAB.**

 **Enjoy!**

After the newcomers were welcomed into the mansion, Emma stood by her parents while they watched Nicholas converse with his comrades about their plans of attack. However, despite the fact that her boyfriend had finally confessed to her all his secrets, she couldn't help but feel mad at him for several reasons. Because of those reasons, she had been glaring at him ever since he nonchalantly guided his friends back inside while Hook and Ariel went back to the Jolly Roger; now knowing that the basis of their marriage was founded on their friend's meddling and lies, they couldn't exactly bring themselves to be in the same room as him for the time being. Rumple decided to stick around so he could keep an eye on the agents in hopes of learning their weaknesses. That, and Nicholas had decided to cash in his favor, so the Dark One was obligated to follow his orders and stay put. Snow and David realized that they were just being ignored considering they weren't apart of anything important, so they decided to check on their son and see if they could get their grandson out of his room. Regina, on the other hand, was the only non-sacrifice that stuck around at this point out of sheer curiosity.

"So then," she said walking up to Emma's side, "How long until you plan on breaking things off with my brother?"

"What?" Emma asked in annoyance.

"I'm just saying," Regina defended, "You haven't exactly been seeing the best of him today and those glares you've been sending him don't seem all lovey-dovey."

"Okay, as happy as me and Nicholas breaking up would make you, it ain't gonna happen any time soon." Emma retorted, "I honestly thought I would stop being pissed at him when he would tell me everything, now I'm more pissed than ever. What else isn't he telling me? What is his name not really Nicholas?"

"No," Regina replied, "It-it's not, Emma. Weren't you paying attention? Have you not heard his real name yet?"

"No." she replied, "It's really not Nicholas?"

"Didn't you hear me address him back in Isaac's book?"

"Well, excuse me, it was kinda hard to hear you speak clearly when you were on your deathbed and I was busy clocking that dork in the nose." Emma retorted, "If that's not his real name, why have you been calling him Nicholas all this time?"

"Well, he actually forgot his real name and just asked us to call him Nicholas until he felt ready to know what his real name was. It's kind of a sensitive topic for him. He'd probably flip out if anybody but me ever called him Abba." she shrugged.

"…Abba?" Emma asked growing a mischievous smirk, "Like the Swedish pop band, Abba?"

"Yeah…I think that might be another reason why he would still prefer Nicholas." Regina nodded, "But-but hey! You cannot tell anyone his real name. Besides Zelena, I'm the only one still alive who knows his real name. If word gets out that he's been using a different name, he's gonna know I blabbed about it and kill me!"

"Oh, come on, Regina." Emma disregarded.

"Emma, think this through carefully." Regina pleaded nervously as she grabbed the blonde by the shoulders, "You know how much he hates it when people tease him on account of his name. He flips out anytime a person abbreviates it to use as a nickname; the only exception he's made is when you do it as a pet name for him occasionally. I have done everything in my power to make sure that the works of 'Abba' never reach his ears. If he finds out that his real name is the same as a Swedish pop group, and people learn that's his name, too, heads will roll and bodies will bleed. So please, for the love of God Almighty, do not tease him about his name being Abba."

"Jesus. Is he really that sensitive about it?" she asked.

"You have no idea." Regina warned darkly.

"We'll set up the Nautilus along the coast and drop anchor at the reef." Nemo explained as the agents looked at their battles plans on a large map of Storybrooke, "From there, my men will be on stand-by until further orders to engage the enemy upon their arrival. We will have five to six squads stationed in town at all times, and three more stationed in the woods. It's rather unlikely that they will strike from there, but incase one of the Homunculi decides to spring up, we'll be ready."

"At that point," Nicholas continued as he shuffled the pieces representing their forces, "We'll have to keep the civilians from leaving their homes. One squadron alone should be enough to take care of that. I doubt the Dwarf in the Flask will allow them to kill anyone who isn't associated with us. It's not much of a defense for them, but it's the best we can do. I'll try and reinforce as many buildings as I can with my alchemy to subdue minor damage. But if something gets hit with heavy fire, well, it won't do 'em much good."

"Does Storybrooke have any warriors at their disposal we could enlist?" Giles asked.

"No," Sawyer replied clicking his tongue, "Unfortunately, those people we just booted out tend to do most of the fighting for these people; and by most, I mean all the fighting."

"Which is ironic considering how many kingdoms' knights are part of the population." Mina commented, "You'd think that there would be at least one of them willing to defend this place when the Charmings can't."

"Yeah, but they don't." Nicholas sighed in disappointment.

"So there is no one who we can rely on to help the civilians aside from those royals?" Shan Yu asked, "There are no groups willing to help?"

"The only group of people to have ever reside in this town who helped us out were the Merry Men." Sawyer replied, "Besides them, all we've got are the self-proclaimed 'heroes', the fairies who probably have no interest in helping us, and what's left of the Lost Boys."

"Peter Pan's followers?" Jekyll asked.

"After we escaped Neverland, Emma brought along the Lost Boys and offered them the chance to live here." Nicholas explained, "However, they haven't exactly been on their best behavior. They've kind of become Storybrooke's own gang of delinquent teens and preteens. Small stuff, really. Robbing the pharmacy, keying people's cars, spray painting stuff, and occasionally breaking into people's homes. Old habits die hard for them, apparently."

"Oh, dear." Giles muttered.

"What of this fifth sacrifice?" Quixote asked, "What are we to do about them?"

"The fifth sacrifice is going to show up no matter what we do. He's not going to let everything he's been working on fall apart because of that." Nicholas replied, "As much as I don't want to, and that's just me being paranoid, I say we disregard that subject and maintain our current point of focus on taking out the rest of the Homunculi."

"I take it we still don't have all the necessary information we need regarding those creatures?" Quixote asked.

"All you need to know is that anything I can do, they can do, too. Each one has one of my abilities, as well as the ability to regenerate any wounds they receive." he warned, "The only difference is that unlike me, they'll eventually die and stay dead after burning out the energy powering their stones."

"In other words, hit 'em hard and don't let them get the upper hand." Quartermain summed up.

"What about the other three sacrifices?" Shan Yu asked gruffly, "What are we gonna do about them?"

"It's obvious that they'll be kept alive until they're needed, so their safety isn't too much of a concern at this point." Nemo clarified, "That being said, I wouldn't put it past the Savior and her family to take the fight to them despite out warnings."

"We could still use that to our advantage." Skinner offered, "Swan, Gold and Nicholas' sister all have magic and therefore control the Homunculi's greatest weakness. I don't think we should take them off the table just yet."

"You think they'll cooperate?" Jekyll asked.

"The Dark One will on account of us holding his wife and unborn child hostage." Mina reminded holding up Pandora's Box, "But it's like Nemo said, Swan and the others will undoubtedly interfere regardless of what we tell them."

"Valid points." Quixote nodded, "I say we just do our work like we would normally do and just ignore them. That Savior chica, she doesn't strike me as the type of senorita willing to get her hands dirty. At least not like we would."

"I agree with Quixote." Nemo informed, "We cannot let these people disrupt our work. It could be disastrous otherwise."

"Any suggestions, old man?" Shan Yu asked Quartermain.

"Don't ask me." he replied looking almost bored, "Flamel's got point on this one. You wanna bring up any ideas, take them up with him; this is all his bloody plan, anyway."

"…I'm with Quixote and Nemo." Nicholas replied with a sigh, "We'll begin searching for the remaining Homunculi starting today. The less we have to deal with, the less complicated things will be almost three days from now."

"Right then." Quartermain nodded grabbing his riffle and coat, "Let's get to work."

On the outskirts of town, Pride the Arrogant, wearing his dark suit and a smirk to match his name, strode down into the mines of Storybrooke. Like the obedient son he was, he obeyed his father's wishes and took the best course of action he could think of in order to cause trouble for the League. As he walked through the abandoned tunnels, ones not even the dwarves used when mining for diamonds, the small Homunculus saw all sorts of spray painted graffiti, tattered flags and makeshift weapons.

As you could already guess, this was the hideout/refuge for the Lost Boys residing in Storybrooke. As Nicholas had said, old habits die hard for them. Ever since they were sent back in the second curse, they began to act as though they were still in Neverland. Some of the people who were sympathetic towards them merely wrote off their actions as mischief or phases of rebellious teenagers seeking attention. Some were, others did this because after spending decades to centuries in Neverland with Pan, they knew of no other way to act. Causing trouble, inflicting pain, stealing for the sake of stealing alone, these were all forms of the dark sense of amusement they developed during their time on the godforsaken island; and they were all traits Pride had every intention of using to his advantage. As he walked through the cavern, he was stopped by two spears aimed at his neck on both sides.

"What do you want, outsider?" one Lost Boy demanded with a menacing glare.

"Oh, nothing really." Pride calmly replied raising his hands, "I just came here to speak with your leader."

"Who sent you?" the other scout asked pressing the spear against his flesh, "Was it the Savior? Talk!"

"First things first." Pride said before grabbing the spears and easily crushing them into splinters in his small hands, "I came here to speak with the one in charge, not some pair of grunts too stupid to know when an opportunity is being presented to them."

Seeing that they had no choice, and no other weapons on them, the guards reluctantly nodded and guided Pride to their leader. At the end of the cave, the remaining Lost Boys stopped what they were doing and stared down Pride as he was led to the Lost Boy sitting on a throne that clearly used to be an old lazy boy chair from the dump. He appeared to be no older than sixteen, had shaggy brown hair and was decorated with the spoils of his triumphs since becoming the new leader of the Lost Boys while playing an old Gameboy. At his side was the scrawny, freckle-faced Lost Boy Nicholas had tortured back on the island who seemed to have taken up Felix's old position as second-in-command.

"Why are you here?" the leader asked still playing his game.

"Tell him!" one of the guards barked.

"Not him, you two." he clarified putting the toy aside, "Why did you decide to abandon your posts without permission, hmm?"

"Well, uh, he-he said he wanted to speak to you and-and-and he cru-crushed our spears." the boy stuttered.

"I have come to offer you the chance to reclaim the former glory of the Lost Boys." Pride lied.

"How so?" Freckles asked.

"By proving to Storybrooke that you all are more than just delinquents hiding in the mines when not causing trouble." he replied, "Face the facts, no one takes you seriously and they never will so long as you continue these actions. But if you were to make a sudden change from your usual antics, perhaps they might come to see you in a different light."

"Like what?" the leader asked in a bored tone.

"Well, for starters," Pride chuckled, "How does avenging the death of one of your own sound?"

"What?" he asked as they all focused on the smug Homunculus.

"Think about it. If you were to do that, you could spark a great rift in Storybrooke between those who believe your actions were justified and those who disagree. You'd change the town as people know it and could continue to further your plans and do as you please with more supporters and maybe even new recruits." Pride offered, "Introduce a little anarchy to Storybrooke, and everything will change."

"…Who would we have to avenge?" Freckles asked.

"The last person any of you would think of." he replied knowing they had fallen into his web of lies, "And lucky for you, his murderer isn't too far from here."

Back in town, Snow, David, Hook and Ariel looked around with mixed feelings as they watched Nemo's crew prepare defenses for the upcoming battle. They were simple defenses, sandbags stacked along certain areas to provide cover from enemy fire, barbed wire wrapped around barricade spikes in front of several buildings, there were even speakers being set up to the telephone wire poles. Traffic had to be directed on account of one or two roads being taken up by the sailors and their cargo vehicles.

"I can't believe this is really happening." Snow finally said, "When Nicholas told us he was finally going to come clean, I never imagined we would be facing something like this. It looks like Storybrooke's being prepared for war."

"I never would have imagined that he was a part of some secret organization." Ariel quipped.

"Neither would I, love." Hook nodded as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Do you think he was a bit too hard on Henry?" Snow asked.

"Honestly?" Hook asked, "No. Maybe calling the lad an idiot so many times was a bit uncalled for, but Flamel did have a point. He didn't think of how destroying magic would affect others."

"He's still just a kid, Hook." David defended.

"Not really." Ariel countered gently, "I know things are a little different in this realm, and this just may be me, but if he had been raised back home, he'd basically be considered an adult. I may not have been here as long as the rest of you, and yeah, Henry may still be just a teenager, but he does seem to disregard what you guys tell him a lot. Plus, it doesn't seem like he listens to you guys when you tell him to do something he doesn't want to do."

"And there was that time when you let him drive your truck when he was thirteen and took out those mailboxes and came close to hitting the people nearby, David." Hook added, "The boy doesn't receive much discipline for his actions, according to my perspective."

"Maybe we do spoil him too much." Snow reluctantly admitted as several townspeople began to argue with the sailors.

"What do you think is going to happen?" David asked.

"I don't know, mate." Hook sighed, "But if it's enough to cause Nicholas to worry and use such drastic measures, it can't be good."

"What the hell is going on?" Ariel asked as the arguing grew louder.

"Just let us through, already!" Leroy demanded with several of his brothers and a few other townsfolk behind him.

"Sir, I have told you once already, this area is off limits." one of the sailors replied losing his patience, "No one is allowed past this point until further notice."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked hotly, "Says who?"

"Leroy!" Snow called as they joined up, "What's going on?"

"Finally, you're back." the dwarf commented, "These guys just showed up out of the blue and started telling us we couldn't go certain places. They're all over town and making the place look like it's about to become a war zone. Who are these guys?"

"It's a long and complicated story. We'll fill you in later." David replied, "Let's just say they work with Nicholas and leave it at that for right now."

"Why are you blocking the road? What is all this?" Ariel asked.

"Orders from the captain." the sailor replied, "No one is allowed at the docks until further notice. In addition to that, these are merely precautions for when the battle begins. These people are free to go about their daily business; just not past the designated points."

"Are you gonna do something about this?" Leroy asked expectantly crossing his arms.

"They can't. We've also been given permission to detain and/or shoot anyone who causes too much of a fuss." the sailor warned, "If you want to take it up with anyone, take it up with Agent Flamel, this was all his idea."

"Alright." David sighed, "Leroy, listen, you're just gonna have to do what these guys ask."

"What?" he asked as the crowd looked at each other in surprise.

"Everyone, please, listen." Snow addressed, "For your own safety, just please do as these people ask. They're here to help us."

"Why?" Happy asked, "And did he say 'battle'? What are we dealing with now?"

"Are we under attack?" one woman asked.

"We're under attack?!" another person shouted as the uproar began.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Hook bluntly remarked as the Charmings became bombarded with questions and outcries.

"If I may?" the sailor politely asked before receiving a nod from the pirate. With the approval granted, he pulled out his handgun and fired into the air causing everyone to duck before running away as he pointed it towards them.

"Are you insane?!" Snow shouted angrily.

"Pressed for time, actually." he nonchalantly replied glancing at the clock, "Now, if you will all please leave? We have work to do. Just let your people know that we shall not harm them so long as they do not cause us any trouble. If they do, next time, I will not aim so high."

"These people are nuts!" Snow exclaimed as the sailor went back to work, "We're seriously going to let them do this?"

"What choice do we have?" David asked as they headed towards the loft, "You saw Nicholas' memories. My guess is that the same thing will happen to us if we get in their way."

"As hard as it is for me to admit this, but the prince may be right." Hook admitted.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Don't push it. I feel queasy enough as it is after saying it the first time." Hook bluntly retorted, "Whatever it is we're up against, it's obvious that we don't hold a candle to these Homunculi. I say we heed Nicholas' advice and just stay out of the way while he and his associates handle it all. And, uh, there was one other thing."

"What's that?" Snow asked.

"Well, see the thing is," Ariel trailed sheepishly, "Those guys are blocking the roads that lead to the harbor, right? And we live on the Jolly Roger which is a ship…see where I'm going with this?"

"You wanna know if you could stay with us." Snow concluded.

"If it's not too much trouble?" Hook asked, "I could take the couch."

"Yeah, sure. Of course you can stay." David nodded before muttering to the pirate, "But, uh, why not stay at Granny's?"

"Because after our memories returned when we were fighting Zelena, Ariel and I _celebrated_ more than Granny would have liked to hear in the room Ariel was residing in at the inn." Hook muttered back, "Since then, we've been banned."

"Ah. Gotcha." he nodded patting his friend on the back, "By the way, has anyone seen Zelena?"

"I think she went back to the farmhouse with the baby." Ariel replied. As a matter of fact, the mermaid was correct. Zelena had returned to her farmhouse with Robin in hopes of collecting her thoughts. No one could really blame her between losing the man she loved, being sucked into a portal taking her to another realm and learning that she was going to be used as a human sacrifice, the Wicked Witch needed a break; and a glass of whiskey as the sun finally set.

"Oh, what a day." she sighed as she placed her baby in her crib, "Mummy's in need of a little rnr, don't you agree, sweet pea? Yes, she does."

"Is that it?" Freckles asked Pride as he, his leader and the rest of the Lost Boys strode up the hill to the farmhouse.

"Indeed." Pride smirked, "Now all you need to do is take out the witch, and soon all of Storybrooke will look at you with new eyes."

"Then let's do it." the head Lost Boy smirked as he fired an arrow through the front window. As soon as the glass shattered, the rest of his followers started whooping and hollering just as they had done in Neverland armed with their makeshift weapons and torches. As they ran past the Homunculus, Pride smirked confidently and darkly as his plan began to unfold.

 **A bit short, I know. But don't worry, the next one and so one will be filled with plenty of epicness and excitement! Unfortunately, they're going to come at a slower pace on account of me being back at school now. All I ask is for your patience and your feedback in between posts.**

 **One thing I would like to bring up before we get out of here, I am in need of inspiration for the back stories regarding Bluebeard and Shan Yu. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear it. Also, if you guys ever think of hilarious insults for Skinner, let me know and I'll put it in the chapter following the most recent one I post; meaning not just the next one but the rest, as well.**

 **Any who, that's all I've got. Hope you all enjoyed and had a great summer. I look forward to your feedback for it gives me motivation, and I'll see ya next time!**

 **Well, not "see" exactly, but you get the idea. Later!**


	71. Soaked Red

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **This is an edited version of the same chapter. Sorry, I meant to add something at the end but I forgot about it. Enjoy!**

Over at the mansion, Nicholas continued to devise plans to better the town's defenses with the others. That is until Ismael came barging back in telling them all that his eldest sister's home was under attack by the Lost Boys. While they all scrambled about to gather their weapons, Emma and Regina conversed quietly.

"What do you think they'll do when they get there?" Emma asked.

"I have my suspicions, none of them are good." Regina muttered back.

"You don't think they'd…" the blonde trailed earning a questioning raised eyebrow from her friend, "Regina, they're just kids!"

"I know that," she agreed, "But something tells me that these people won't be as forgiving as we'd be. Besides, you remember what Nicholas did to that one Lost Boy on the island. What's to stop him from doing that again?"

"But you don't think they'll kill them, do you?" Emma questioned.

"Emma, please." Regina scoffed, "My brother is many things, but I highly doubt he would go as far as to kill children much less allow the death of a group of them."

"I hope you're right." Emma sighed as they both poofed away.

 **OUaT**

Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest, Flamel sat at the desk his parents had given to him in his new study at their estate. Piles of scraps of paper were littered across the desk and the floor while he continued to scribble down his notes. As he did, his elder sister came barging in with a happy smile on her face.

"Good morning, Nicholas." she warmly greeted as she tightly hugged him.

"Yeah, morning." he replied not really listening.

"Still working, huh?" she asked playfully as she perched herself on the desk.

"Hmm-hmm." he nodded fixing his glasses.

"What-cha working on?"

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Alchemic stuff." he replied slightly annoyed before sighing and taking off his glasses, "Regina, what are you doing?"

"What?" she teased ruffling his hair, "I'm just spending time with my favorite brother."

"I'm your only brother." Flamel chuckled.

"All the more reason for you to be my favorite." she grinned, "But doesn't it get boring, just sitting in here all day scribbling?"

"Scribbling?" he asked, "These aren't scribbles. They are very important, complex alchemic research notes that take time and precision to complete."

"Okay, okay." Regina chuckled, "But seriously, don't you get bored? Maybe even a little…you know, lonely?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't you want to go outside and, I don't know, play with some kids your age?" she suggested.

"Oh, I tried." Flamel shrugged as he walked over to an old microscope, "But they were so boring; and kind of stupid. Besides, I'm not really accustomed to playing, so I don't really know how to properly interact with my fellow adolescents when attempting to participate in acts of amusement and frivolity."

"What?" Regina asked.

"I'm socially awkward." her brother deadpanned.

"Oh." she nodded, "Well, you need to at least do something other than stay cooped up in here all day. I know! Why don't I teach you horseback riding? It'll be fun!"

"Pass." Flamel replied as he pulled out old, dusty charts from a nearby crate, "As much fun as that does sound, and I would love to spend time with you, Regina, for some reason, ever since I acquired my stone, animals do not seem to react well to my presence."

"Oh, okay." Regina said slightly disappointed before perking up, "How about this, then? There's this tavern not too far from the estate in the woods. They have some really good mead that's made with juniper berries. What do you say?"

"You really want me out of here, don't you?" Flamel chuckled, "Okay, okay, I'll go. But you're paying for my drinks."

"Deal." she laughed as she playfully shook his hand. About two hours later, dressed in lower class clothes, the two siblings entered the tavern and found the place to be filled with people, music, laughter, and delicious ales and meads. Unfortunately, Flamel was still beyond bored, and it didn't help that Regina ditched him the moment she spotted Daniel at the counter, either. He was about ready to call it quits and head back after finishing his mead before he overheard bits of a nearby conversation.

"And with that, the arrangement is complete and the formula should instantly take effect. From that point, the landscape should become a liquid state." a middle aged man wearing a white lab coat explained. Peering through the tables and people, Flamel noticed that the man wasn't the only one wearing a lab coat. Including him, there were five people sitting at a round table, each one different in so many ways.

The first man had long black hair and pale skin with dark blue eyes. Underneath his coat was a light gray leather vest and dark pants with a silver pocket watch on his belt and two unique circles could be seen on his palms. Sitting next to him was a slim, athletic looking man with combed back brown hair and reading glasses wearing a tunic and brown vest over his lean muscles and leather pants with his own lab coat. There was also a shorter man wearing fancy clothes similar to Flamel's father under his lab coat with a black, silk top hat on his head. Unlike the man next to him, he was bald, had a gray mustache, multiple transmutation circles carved into the palms of his hands and fingers, and a metal peg leg connected to his right knee could be seen under the table. Along with those two, a man with short brown hair wearing tattered clothes and glasses sat next to the man who was clearly the leader. He was an elder man with a full, bushy beard and wiry hair. His face was hardened and seemed as though he had a permanent scowl but instead of a white lab coat, he wore a black, leather overcoat over expensive, black clothes. For some reason, Flamel was intrigued by them and deiced to join in on the conversation.

"The arrangement is actually wrong." he informed as he glanced at the drawn transmutation circle.

"What?" the older man asked gruffly in what people in our realm would consider to be a German accent.

"You should have the symbol for water here and the symbol for earth there." he explained as he pointed to the correct positions, "Also, I would advise factoring in the compositions of wood and metal just to be safe. But that's just me."

"He's right." the brown haired man gasped as he fumbled with his pen to fix his mistake, "That could've caused a terrible rebound if we tried it like this! Thank you, young man."

"Don't mention it." Flamel shrugged.

"How did you know to rectify such a complex alchemic formula?" their leader asked with a glare.

"No offense to you, gentlemen, but I didn't find it all that complicated." Flamel replied, "However, that being said, it seems as though you took the complicated route in order to formulate this arrangement. If you were to simply approach it with the thought of accelerating the molecules of whatever you are transmuting, then it would be simpler to successfully perform the transmutation."

"Seems like we aren't the only alchemists in here like we thought." the black haired man said with a smooth, serpent-like voice, "Would you care to join us?"

"Gladly." he nodded, "I'm known as Nicholas Flamel, who are you people?"

"Just a group of alchemists seeking knowledge in their never ending search. You can call me Kimblee, the Crimson Alchemist." Kimblee introduced with an outstretched hand which Flamel shook.

"I am Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist."

"Remember my name because I'll only say it once, boy. I am Giroro, the Silver Alchemist." the shortest rudely snapped.

"On a much politer note, I am known as Maiza Avaro, the Nomad Alchemist." Maiza politely introduced.

"And I am Szilard Quates, the Devouring Alchemist." Szilard added looking down his nose at the boy.

"Why do they call you that?" Flamel asked.

"I have an insatiable hunger for knowledge." Szilard replied flatly. Clearly, that was the only explanation Flamel was going to get regarding his name, "We address ourselves through code names in case our works are to ever come in danger of avaricious simpletons. My question for you is how do you know the art alchemy?"

"I've been heavily studying and practicing alchemy for nearly six years now. You'll find that my skills are nothing to scoff at, either."

"Prove it." Szilard glared. In response, Flamel calmly sat with his hands folded and his legs crossed as he transmuted a wood carving of a beautiful woman cradling a water pitcher over her head in the center of the table. Seeing the display of transmutation without so much as a twitch was more than enough to impress and baffle the other alchemists; Tucker nearly fell out of his seat when it happened.

"Care for another demonstration, Devouring Alchemist?" he asked.

"Careful what you say, old man." Kimblee chuckled, "It would appear even you've met your match with this boy."

"Extraordinary." Maiza gasped, "Absolutely-"

"Preposterous!" Giroro snapped slamming his fist on the table, "He completely disregarded the laws of Equivalent Exchange! Furthermore, he transmuted without so much as any movement let alone a transmutation circle of any kind. He dares to call himself an alchemist with such arrogance?!"

"Enough!" Szilard barked causing the Silver Alchemist to sit back down, "Young man, Nicholas, yes? How would you like to join us in our pursuit of knowledge? I believe we may all yet learn much from one another."

"That's highly unlikely regarding myself." Flamel remarked before making up his mind, "But I shall accept your offer. From here on, I shall help in the expansion of alchemy's prowess."

"Excellent." Szilard smirked, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

 **OUaT**

When the two women reached the farmhouse, they saw the burning torches and arrows light up the night sky while the Lost Boys shouted and hollered. Thankfully, Zelena was quick enough to put up a protection spell around the house, however, the flames were beginning to consume the surrounding dead grass and nearby shed.

"Stop!" Regina shouted at the teenagers, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Avenging Baelfire!" a young Lost Boy cried as he tossed his torch at the house.

"Burn it!" they cheered.

"Kill the witch!"

"Make her suffer!"

"Enough!" Emma bellowed using her magic to extinguish their torches, "This isn't what Baelfire would have wanted. There's a baby in there, for God's sake!"

"So what?" their leader scoffed, "Like we care about what happens to some brat. Who knows? We might even get lucky and kill the damn thing in the process; one less witch in town to worry about."

Hearing the teen's words hit Emma like a sucker punch to the face. When she brought these boys home with her and the rest of her family, she believed that they would change for the better once free from Pan's tyranny. However, it was clear to her not that was nothing more than wishful thinking. The boys before her clearly had every intention of killing Zelena and had no qualms about killing the baby either; if anything, they were hoping they'd be able to if given the chance.

"You wanna play with the big kids?" Regina asked making a fireball in her hand, "Then let's play."

"Please, don't start without us." Sawyer said as he, Skinner, Quixote and Giles showed up.

"We can handle this ourselves, Sawyer." Emma snapped, "We don't need your help."

"Oh, I believe you, Emma." he nodded with a dark smirk while pacing about, "But you see, the thing is we can't allow any harm to come to Zelena for the next few days; or you, for that matter. Plus, Nicholas would be furious if anything were to happen to his sweet, little niece. So don't take it the wrong way when I say…we'll be doing things our way from now on."

Before anyone could even mutter a word, Quixote quickly readied his spear and engaged the surrounding teenagers. As he did, Giles opened his bible and said a prayer under his breath while Skinner charged at them with only his fists.

"Alright, boys!" he said with a smirk as he popped his knuckles, "Let's get to work."

"You ready to die, old man?" one Lost Boy taunted towards Quixote with two more of his friends to back him up.

"Chico," he said dryly, "You and your amigos are a hundred years too young to give me any sort of challenge. But I'd be happy to put you in your place like the brats you are."

"Shut up!" he cried as they charged at the Gentlemen. Obviously bored, Quixote easily dodged their attacks as they swung their clubs and swords at him. Effortlessly on the defensive, he twirled his spear at them to strike either their weapons, waists or heads. As he did, Skinner was easily fending the teenagers attempting, emphasis on attempting, to fight him; which proved to be futile on account of his expertise in hand to hand combat. Sawyer, on the other hand, kept things simple by taking on a kick-boxing type fighting style against the boys. Giles, however, stood completely still as he finished his prayer.

"You just gonna stand there, or are you going to fight us, you bearded geezer?"

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen." Giles finished closing his bible and opening his focused, cold eyes at the armed children before him. In response to the taunt, Bluebeard prepared his weapon. Unlike his shot riffle, or his hunting knife, this weapon strangely reflected the dedication he had towards his faith. It was a dark bronze thurible incense swinger with an overly long chain. With one hand wrapped with the chains, and the other swinging the thurible in the other allowing the smoke and scent of burning incense to fill the air. Without any warning, he flung the burner at them with great speed and watched as it struck one Lost Boy in the head. As he brought it back, he alternated to the weighted end of the chain and wrapped around another, baffled, Lost Boy's club. While the four Gentlemen kept them busy, Emma and Regina took the chance to check on the Wicked Witch and her baby.

"Zelena?!" Regina called banging on the back door, "Zelena, it's us. Open up!"

"Zelena?" Emma asked before they were both enveloped in a cloud of green smoke. When it cleared, they noticed that they were in Zelena's dining room.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she asked as she came in with the baby.

"We could ask you the same question." Regina remarked, "What happened?"

"Nothing." Zelena shrugged, "I came home, fed Robin and just as I was about to put her down, those pyromaniacs started shouting and tried to burn the house down! I have no idea why."

"We do." Emma replied, "They want to avenge Neal's death by killing you."

"Oh, here we go." she scoffed rolling her eyes.

"You're lucky you're one of those sacrifices Nicholas told us about." Regina reminded, "If it wasn't for that, the League wouldn't be out there holding them off for you."

"And what are you going to do?" she asked, "Talk them down as soon as you get out there?"

"Normally, we would try that. But these kids are serious about killing you, Zelena." Emma warned, "I mean, they don't even care about killing the baby in the process. We're just gonna have to lock them up."

"That won't be enough to keep them from doing this sort of thing again." Regina debated.

"Maybe, but it'll at least keep them out of our hair until this Promised Day thing blows over."

"And what happens after that?" Zelena asked, "What happens after you release them and they try to kill me and my daughter, again, Emma?"

Before the Savior could answer, the sound of gunfire rang from outside. Not a moment later, they rushed outside and saw Sawyer standing over the freckled Lost Boy clutching his bleeding knee on the ground with his gun letting of smoke in his hand.

"What are you doing?!" Emma shouted.

"Why did you do that?" he asked the teenager dryly, "I told you not to resist, and there you go trying to make a break for it."

"That should be all of them." Quixote informed as he finished tying up the last of the boys.

"What happened?!" Emma demanded.

"What this?" Sawyer asked, "Oh, the brat tried to make a break for it when I started asking him questions. So, I stopped him; plain and simple."

"Where the hell is the one in charge, here?!" Nicholas shouted angrily as he, Mina, Quartermain and Shan Yu showed up.

"Their leader ran off amidst the fighting, but we've got their number two, right here." Sawyer indicated nonchalantly to the bleeding teen at his feet.

"Putting brats in timeout better not be as interesting as it gets for this assignment, Quartermain." Shan Yu glared, "I'm only here because Flamel promised me some excitement. So far, I'm not impressed."

"Keep complaining and you may not stick around long enough to witness the excitement." Quartermain warned.

"Who sent you here?" Nicholas snarled, grabbing the teen's collar and shaking him, "Tell me; talk!"

"Nicholas, calm down." Regina lectured.

"Stay out of this!" he barked before jerking his head at the others, "Keep them back, I don't want them interfering."

"You heard him, ladies." Mina sighed as she tried to back the three women up.

"Back off." Emma snapped as she tried to push the vampire away only to push herself back while Mina's eyes turned red and her canines pushed through her lips.

"Feel like trying that again?" she calmly, yet dangerously asked.

"Who sent you?" Nicholas asked darkly.

"Nobody." the kid hissed pain before crying out as Nicholas jammed his thumb into the wound.

"Don't lie to me." he warned staring into his eyes, "You brats are too stupid to do something like this on your own; let alone come up with it. So I will ask you again, one more time before I start inflicting some real pain, who the hell sent you?"

"I don't know!" Freckles cried out, "He didn't give us his name. He was just some kid in a suit talking about how we needed to prove to everyone that we meant business!"

"This kid, did have strange tattoo on him?" Nicholas asked before shaking the boy, "Did he?!"

"I don't know! All I know is that what he said stuck with our leader, Richard!" Freckles wailed, "He's hell bent on proving to everyone that the Lost Boys are still dangerous, even without Pan. He'll try this again, no matter how many times it takes; he doesn't care how many of us he loses in the process."

"Alright, that's enough!" Emma snapped as she shoved her boyfriend off and helped the teen to his feet, "Don't worry, he's not going to hurt you. You don't need to worry about Richard."

"No, just us." Mina informed before lunging at the boy and sinking her fangs into his neck. The attack was so sudden, Freckles wasn't able to cry out in pain, and Emma wasn't able to get over her shock in time to save him. While Mina was enjoying with her meal, Quartermain gave his agents a quick order.

"Kill them all."

Not more than a second later, Sawyer fired his pistol's next round into the head of an unsuspecting Lost Boy. As he did, Bluebeard used his knife to slit another's throat, Quixote impaled two of them with his spear, Skinner snapped another's neck, and Quartermain fired his own pistol at several of them.

Needless to say, Emma, Regina and Zelena were lost for words as they witnessed the merciless display of bloodshed before them; even more so when they saw the looks of amusement and enjoyment on some of their faces. As soon as the last bound body dropped dead, Nicholas caught a glimpse one Lost Boy who managed to escape run towards the wood. But before he could make it past the trees, Nicholas stopped him with a large wall made from the ground.

"Pl-please, don't!" the child pleaded as the wall pushed him back to face the angry alchemist, "H-h-have mercy, please! Please!"

"Mercy?" he asked with his voice shaking in anger, "You come here, attempt to kill my sister, try to burn down her house without so much as a care for what might happen to my infant niece, and you dare to beg _me_ for mercy?! No. No, you don't get that luxury."

"Nicholas, don't!" Emma pleaded as she and his sisters tried to stop him, but he prevented them by transmuting the ground to keep their feet in place. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a nearby club on the ground and picked it up.

"Have you ever seen the movie _Gangs of New York_? I have. I always thought it was one of DiCaprio's best; it's about the early gangs of this country in the 1800s. There's this one character, an Irish man, who wields a club, like this one, and every time he kills a man, he marks his club with a notch. At one point, he decides to run for sheriff of his district, but another gang leader, who hates the Irish with a fiery passion, doesn't like that; not one bit. So, the day they announce who won the vote, he approaches the man he hates with a cleaver in his hand and throws it into his back. While the soon-to-be sheriff lies on the ground, he picks up the club and makes a new notch. He raises the club and says to him, 'This is you, right here,' before crushing the Irishman's head with his own weapon. Guess what, kid?" he asked as he made his own mark on the club and raised it over his head, "This one's you."

With no mercy in his heart, Nicholas swung the club down on the boy, and smashed his skull in. Blood stained the ground, the club, and splattered on Nicholas' cheek and the gut wrenching sound of the club smashing the boy's skull into his brains rang through the air. He seemed completely unfazed by the life he just took, or from the looks of utter shock and horror on the three most important women in his life's faces.

 **OUaT**

Weeks had passed since Flamel joined up with the group of alchemists. Since then, he had earned himself his own white lab coat, and the respect of the men he worked with. Thankfully, Regina no longer pestered him in finding friends and getting out of his room every day. Though he hated to admit it, he was glad that he listened to her and found friends in his fellow alchemists. However, there was one little hick up he was facing in his newfound friendship.

In order to stay a part of the group, you had to contribute to the science of alchemy with new, progressive research and/or experiments. Unfortunately, one of the men was falling behind in that endeavor; Tucker. It didn't take long for Flamel to realize that the man was not very confident or proud. The mistake he made with the transmutation circle was just one of the several mistakes he made in the time he spent as an alchemist. If it hadn't been for Maiza, Szilard would have dumped Tucker to the nearest curb with a glob of spit in his face.

But out of the kindness of his heart, Flamel offered to assist his new colleague in maintaining his status as a member of their little research group. As mentioned before, Tucker was not much of a confident man, nor was he too social beyond that of his fellow alchemists who only allowed him to join for one reason. Too further explain, Szilard was extremely selective over whom could join his group. Only alchemists who had proven themselves worthy to him by great alchemic feats could join. Maiza qualified by displaying his skills of medical alchemy, Giroro his use of weaponized alchemy, Kimblee his overpowered and cunning use of alchemy, and of course, Flamel's display of his own alchemy along with further, creative demonstrations.

As for Tucker, according to Maiza, he was able to impress the grumpy old man with the greatest display of bio alchemy he had ever seen. With methods he had yet to divulge, Tucker was able to create an alchemically created chimera capable of understanding human speech as well as being able to speak itself. However, the creature only ever spoke once before starving itself and dying.

"I want to die."

It had been roughly two years since then and ever since, Tucker had been struggling to impress the others well enough to let him stay; or be respected and taken seriously, for that matter. In his house deep within the woods, Flamel decided to stop by one morning with his sister in order to help out the reclusive alchemist.

"You really think it's okay for me to come?" Regina asked.

"Oh, sure, it's fine." her brother waved off, "Tucker's gonna be so wrapped up in his work he probably won't even realize you're here."

"Um, okay?" she replied not sure how to take that response. As they approached the house, they spotted a cute little girl with braids in a dress giggle and play with a large, white dog in the yard while Tucker watched her with a fond smile. She couldn't have been more than five-years-old by Flamel's estimation.

"Ah, Nicholas, you're here." Tucker greeted as they shook hands, "And whom might this be?"

"This is my elder sister, Regina. She was bored so she decided to tag along with me." Flamel replied as the little girl and dog came over to them.

"Is that so?" he chuckled with a kind smile, "In that case, I welcome you and your sister to my home. My name is Tucker. This is my daughter, Nina. Say hello, Nina."

"Hi. This is Alexander." she cutely waved to them while petting the dog, "Have you come to play?"

"No, sweetheart. Nicholas is here to help Daddy further his research. But I'm sure Regina would like to play." Tucker chuckled.

"Of course." she smiled while crouching down to the girl's level, "I bet you know all kinds of games we can play, don't you?"

"Uh-huh!" Nina chirped, "Alexander and I love to play. Come on! I'll show you."

"Quite the ball of energy you have there." Flamel chuckled as the little girl dragged his sister away, "You sure she's yours?"

"She got that from her mother. Always looking for something exciting." Tucker said with a sad smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Flamel apologized after catching on, "Was it recent?"

"Two years ago, actually. Just before I joined Szilard's group. Being with people on similar levels of intellect helped take my mind away from the grief." Tucker sighed, "Makes wish I had Maiza's skill in medical alchemy. Damn plague took both my wife and our last dog. Nina was heartbroken."

"I can imagine." he nodded, "It's not easy to grow up without your mother. Trust me."

"Yes. But enough dwelling on sad times. Let's head inside where my experiments are kept." Tucker offered hoping to change the sensitive subject.

"Lead the way." Flamel nodded as they headed inside, "So, what exactly have you been working on lately?"

"Well, as you know, my specialty lies with bio alchemy. Ever since I created the speaking chimera, I've been focusing on further advancing the experiment. Unfortunately, I haven't had much success."

"Really? Can I see your research notes? Maybe there's something you missed."

"Unfortunately, I can't do that." he replied as they entered a secret back room filled with caged and jarred animals, "When my wife passed away, we lived in another house. I didn't want anything to spread so I burned down our home and left all my research notes inside; I didn't want to bring anything that could have been contaminated with Nina around."

"Oh, I see." Flamel nodded as he looked at the snarling mutated creatures, "Well, it's obvious that you know how to create chimeras without much trouble. You just can't get any of them to match the previous one's intellect, right?"

"Yes, that's correct." Tucker nodded.

"What kind of animals did you use last time?" he asked.

"Various mammals blended with other chimeras I created. None of which I have currently at my disposal."

"I'm still fairly new to this group. Do you have to present Quates and others with another talking chimera? Because it doesn't seem like that can happen anytime soon, Tucker." Flamel wondered.

"No, it doesn't." he replied, "But bio alchemy is my specialty. If I don't show that I'm capable of further improving my work, I can kiss this lab coat and everything else they have to offer goodbye. There's not much else I can do with this particular field. Any suggestions?"

"…Make a talking chimera." Flamel sheepishly answered, "Sorry, but that really does look like your best option."

"Very well," he sighed, "In that case, I'll need to work on this myself."

"You sure? I can help out." he offered before Regina came bursting through the door sweating and panting, "Regina?"

"Your turn." she wheezed.

"What?" he asked.

"It's your turn! I can't keep up with that kid anymore. You play with her!" she all but demanded.

"Okay, okay. Geez!" Flamel sighed as he headed outside with her, "You know, you should be embarrassed. You can't even keep up with a five-year-old little girl."

"Shut up!" Regina snapped, "She's rides that dog around like it's a damn horse."

"Yap, yap, yap." he mocked. After they left, Tucker made sure he was alone and pulled out an old notebook from his coat and flipped to a particular page; one that specified abnormal anatomy.

Outside, Flamel was beginning to understand how such a small girl like Nina was able to wear out his sister. Like Regina had said, Nina would occasionally hop on Alexander as Flamel chased her in order to get away; sometimes, Alexander would play along and tackle him and lick his face to distract him from his owner. The sounds of happy laughter and barking filled the air that day, no one wanted it to end; especially Nina.

"Okay, sis, I think I understand why you were so exhausted earlier." Flamel panted with a smile.

"I'll take that as an apology." she said playfully shoving him.

"Come on, guys! We're not done, yet!" Nina exclaimed trying not to pout, "Come on, big brother!"

"Easy, Nina. It's hard to keep up with you." he laughed, "Why don't we take a break and see how your father's doing? Maybe he wants to play?"

"No," she said looking sad, "Daddy never wants to play. He's too busy working to play, that's why he got me Alexander."

"Oh, sweetie," Regina soothed with a kind smile, "I'm sure that's not true. Your father loves you. I'll wager that as soon as he's finished, he'll play with you all you want."

"Really?" she asked in hope.

"Really." Regina nodded.

"Aren't there any kids your age that you'd like to play with?" Flamel asked.

"No. Daddy didn't want to live near any distractions so he built our house far away from any village." Nina clarified.

"It must be pretty lonely for her out here." Flamel said to his sister.

"It's okay, big brother Nicky! I have Alexander, right boy?" she asked earning a bark from the dog.

"Yeah." she nodded sadly before perking up with an idea, "Nina? What would you say to coming over to our house tomorrow while your father is working? Does that sound like fun?"

"Can Alexander come?" the girl sweetly asked as she hugged her pet.

"Of course he can." she chuckled as the dog barked in approval.

"Nina," Tucker called from the front door, "It's time to come in, dear. Say goodbye to Nicholas and Regina."

"Aw, Daddy!" Nina whined, "Can't we play a little longer?"

"No. Come inside." he flatly replied as the sun's glare covered his glasses.

"Probably best if you do as your father says, Nina." Flamel softly advised, "We don't want him to object to our plans tomorrow, right?"

"Okay. Bye-bye, Gina. Bye-bye, Nicky." she relented puffing her cheeks before hugging the siblings goodbye. After they had left, Tucker escorted his daughter and dog back inside to his office.

"Nina," he said softly, "You know that Daddy has an important meeting with his colleagues tomorrow, right? And that he needs to impress them with an experiment?"

"Yep!" she nodded innocently, "Don't worry, Daddy. I know you'll be great!"

"Thank you, sweetheart." he smiled as he patted her head, "In fact, what would you say to helping Daddy put the final touches on his work?"

"Can I really?" she asked happy that her father was wanting to spend time with her.

"Of course." Tucker nodded with a smile she had never seen before, "In fact, Alexander can help us, as well. Why don't we head into Daddy's lab and get started? Then maybe later, we can all play together."

"Yay!" Nina cheered.

 **OUaT**

"What have you done?!" Emma shrieked.

"I just took care of a threat towards my family, what does it look like I've done?" Nicholas asked in a dark, nonchalant tone.

"You didn't have to kill them!" she shouted in anger.

"Oh, we didn't, did we?" Shan Yu asked, "And you can honestly say that had we not, those brats would have left the sacrifice and her child alone? I've heard of blind faith, but that seems a bit ridiculous."

"You heard what he said, Emma. Their leader wouldn't care how many times it took or how many they would lose; they would do whatever it takes to prove to everyone they mean business." Giles reminded unfazed by what he and his associates had done.

"How can you stand there and say that? You're a priest, for God's sake!" Emma shouted.

"True, but I am an LXG agent above all else." he calmly defended, "And while I would like to say that I wish I could have taken a different course of action, I have to admit, this was the most efficient in ensuring the end of the threat they imposed. Besides, anyone, no matter what their age may be, who do not seem to care about the safety of an innocent infant deserves to die, especially by my hand; be glad that Storybrooke does not have any abortion clinics or else you would see the extent of my wrath."

"What did you expect from us, Swan?" Mina coldly asked not bothering to wipe her bloody mouth, "Did you think that we were some group of herald heroes that would solve all your problems in the cleanest and noblest of ways?"

"We're professional killers, plain and simple." Sawyer clarified bluntly.

"They were just kids!" Regina debated.

"Technically, most of them were several decades to centuries old." Skinner corrected without a care in the world.

"Besides, it's not like anyone will miss the little bastardos." Quixote chuckled as he pulled his spear from the corpses he impaled, "Clearly, the Homunculi orchestrated this whole mess. Question is, why?"

"To carve a crest of blood." Nicholas replied, "My guess is that this was the last one. We played right into their hands."

"What the bloody hell is a crest of blood?" Zelena asked.

"It's complicated." he sighed earning another earful from his girlfriend.

"Nicholas, if you say that one more time and just brush us off, I swear to God-"

"Alright, alright!" he relented as he created a pedestal from the ground and sculpted a map of town on its surface.

"Graham." he said pointing to the spot where his old friend died while creating a spot on the map.

"George." he continued pointing to where he killed the corrupt king before pointing to three other spots, "Neal, Cruella, and the Lost Boys. All dead, all killed in significant spots. You may think they each died at these spots purely by chance, but you'd be wrong. It's by the will of the Homunculi. Crests of blood at the designating points made through bloodshed fueled by hatred."

As he said this, he used his alchemy to connect the points to show an upside-down pentagon in another pentagon inside a circle surrounding the town. "Just like in Xerxes, the Dwarf in the Flask is creating massive transmutation circles designed to create a Philosopher's Stone."

"Wait a minute," Regina interrupted, " _Circles_? How many is he making for just one town?"

"Whoever said it was just for Storybrooke?" he asked, "In three days from now, a solar eclipse will occur and mark the beginning of the Promised Day. When that happens, the procedure will begin, and it won't just be Storybrooke that will be victim to his twisted mind."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"A solar eclipse doesn't just signify the alignment of the earth's moon and the sun. It also reflects the alignment of the other realms. Over the years, the Homunculi have been able to carve out other crests of blood in the realms that will be a part of this alignment. When they are perfectly aligned, he will use us as sacrifices to break past the barriers of the realms and acquire an unbelievable amount of power by turning everyone caught in the radius of these circles into a Philosopher's Stone. To do this, he needs a strong source of alchemic energy to support his transmutation; that's me. And to balance out the magical energies flowing throughout the other realms that are filled with magic like the Enchanted Forest, he needs powerful sources of magic; you two, Gold, and one other. The only reason he had the Lost Boys attack you, Zelena, was because he needed one final crest of blood carved into Storybrooke. One way or another, those boys were going to die. If not by our hands, then by the hands of the other Homunculi. So if the three of you could please find it in your hearts to excuse me from keeping my family safe and away from the clutches of those vile abominations, I would feel a whole lot better." Nicholas said hotly in sarcasm.

"This is war, ladies." Quartermain said gruffly, "Blood will be shed. And this? This is just a brief glance at the amount of blood and dead bodies that will liter across Storybrooke in the days to come."

"Can you honestly say that you're all that surprised?" Nicholas dryly asked, "You remember how David and Ruby told you how cold I was when I killed George, Emma. The way I nearly destroyed that boy's face without hesitation back in Neverland. When I dashed Eric's desperate hopes of surviving before watching in amusement as his flesh and bones burnt away in the night. How I enjoyed torturing and tormenting Arthur while I burned his castle and his people with Robin in Camelot."

"You weren't always-" Emma tried to reason before being interrupted.

"Yes, I was." he denied, "I've just been good at keeping it under control when I'm around you guys. I don't have a misguided sense of mercy like your parents do, Emma. If I even had one to begin with, my sense of mercy was tossed away over fifty years ago. I don't cling to a false hope that my enemies can be redeemed after a certain amount of time. When it comes down to it, I have but two choices; kill, or don't kill. It's plain, simple, and I will choose whatever option so long as it means I can protect the people I care about. So you can resent me, or think less of me all you want. But if I was able to do it all over again, I would still kill those boys if any of you were in danger from them. This 'merciful' act of mine is over. Be prepared, because you'll see the real Nicholas Flamel before this is over. I am done tip-toeing my way through this sort of shit. My hands are already stained red with blood; I have no qualms with dipping them in any further."

"…I don't even know who you are anymore." she said with a shocked expression, "How on earth did you become like this?"

"You really want to know?" he asked almost coldly, "It's simple, really. I learned the truth within the truth. And that's something that can only be learned when you live the kind of life I've lived."

With that said, Nicholas turned away from her, not even caring that he was stepping over or on the lifeless bodies of the children he and his comrades had slain just minutes before.

"Nicholas, wait!" Emma called only to be stopped by Regina.

"Let him go, Emma." she said softly, "This is who he is. Just accept it."

"How can you say that?" the blonde asked baffled, "You sound like you've seen this side of him before!"

"Because I have." Regina replied thinking to a dark moment in her past, "But I never once thought that this was who he truly was."

"Enough with the family secrets already!" Emma exclaimed, "If you know what drove him to be like this, just tell me, Regina!"

"Fine. But try not to think less of him, please." she pleaded.

 **OUaT**

The following morning, Flamel and Regina returned to Tucker's home ready to spend another day with Nina. Much to their displeasure, it had begun to rain heavily by the time they reached the house. When they arrived, they let themselves in to get out of the rain, however, they noticed that it was both eerily quiet and eerily dark in the house.

"Anyone home?" Flamel called, "Tucker?"

"Nina?" Regina called as they headed towards the back room. When they reached the room, they saw Tucker sitting in a chair next to a strange creature. At first glance, it looked like a cross between a wolf and a white fox with a long, red mane down its back.

"I'm right here, my friends." he said with an odd smile in the dark, "I've done it, Nicholas. I've succeeded in my experiment!"

"You have?" Flamel asked in surprise. Just the day before, the man didn't have any of the required resources and was grasping at straws, now he had successfully recreated his success? Something was wrong.

"Indeed." Tucker nodded still smiling before addressing the chimera, "Listen to me, that boy over there, his name is Nicholas."

"That person is Nicholas." the chimera repeated in a low voice.

"Yes, that's it!" Tucker praised, "Very good."

"Incredible." Regina said in awe, "It can really talk."

"Now I don't need to worry about the old man revoking my membership. I made it just in time. He and the others are expecting me at the tavern later." he explained while Flamel came over and further examined the chimera.

"That person is Nicholas. That person is Nicholas. That person is…Nicholas." the chimera repeated before giving what one could assume was a smile, "Big brother Nicky."

Those three little words caused Flamel's heart to stop. Regina didn't seem to notice as she was still impressed by the display of alchemy before her. However, Flamel was no longer impressed; only furious.

"Tucker, when did you say your wife died, again?" he asked.

"Let's see," the alchemist trailed, "It was two years ago."

"And when did you join up with Szilard and receive your membership?" he asked again.

"That was two years ago, as well." Tucker replied.

"Then I just have one last question for you. Nina and Alexander, where are they?" Flamel asked earning a death glare from his colleague.

"…Damn brat, figuring it out so quickly." he cursed under his breath before trying to charge the boy only to be slammed against the wall.

"Oh, yeah, I figured it out. You did it again!" Flamel shouted, "First it was your wife and now you pull this stunt?!"

"Brother, what are you doing?!" Regina exclaimed.

"He turned Nina and Alexander into a chimera!" Flamel snarled as she looked down at the creature in horror, "You can only do so much with animals, right? How could you even think to do something like this?!"

"It's all necessary to our cause." Tucker said with a mad grin, "Human experimentation is the key step to our expansion of knowledge. I would think that as a fellow alchemist, you would understand."

"Like hell!" Flamel cried as his arms and a portion of his face became covered in his shield for the first time. In addition to that, his rage allowed his abnormal shadows to appear on the floor and further frighten his sister.

"There are lines we don't cross, you sick bastard! To meddle with another human's life like this, to your own daughter?!"

"You're one to talk." Tucker cackled insanely, "Did you honestly think we didn't know what you were when you joined us? The only reason Quates let you join is because of what's inside you! Look at your arms, your face, your own shadows! Those are the results of someone meddling with someone else's life. Alchemists are forbidden from diving into the secret of immortality, and yet you willingly helped Xerxes plunge head first into the consequences while you reaped the benefits. You're just like me!"

"Shut up!" he cried as he began to punch the deranged man with his hardened fist, knocking off his glasses in the process.

"We're the same! We're the same!" Tucker taunted while Nina and Regina watched.

"I'm not!" Flamel shouted in protest while trying to convince himself past the horrific memories flashing before his eyes as he continued to punch. As he did, blood began to cover his fist and splattered against his white lab coat. "I'm not! I'm not like you. I'm not!"

"Nicholas! Stop it! If you keep this up, he'll die." Regina warned as she grabbed his arm. As she did, he could feel Nina's cold nose brush against his leg.

"Nicholas, no." she pleaded. Her voice was so wrong and foreign to him, Flamel stiffened with guilt and sadness as she brushed her face against Tucker's bloody face, "Don't hurt Daddy anymore. Daddy hurt? Do you hurt, Daddy?"

"Oh, Nina." Regina said softly as she cried and hugged the chimera.

"Can we play now?" she asked, "Can we play now?"

"I made it just in time." Tucker said crawling towards his hung lab coat, "I get to stay a member; I passed."

In his anger, Flamel went over to the coat, not caring that his boot crushed Tucker's hand, and tore it to shreds before his deranged eyes.

"I'll send word to the guards at the estate." Regina said while glaring at the pitiful man on the floor, "They'll make sure he gets put in a cell that will never see the light of day."

"No." her brother spat, "He doesn't deserve to get away with what he's done like that. There's only one thing that's good enough punishment for him."

"What are you-hey!" Regina said as her brother grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside; he didn't even seem to care, or notice that she had fallen into the mud before heading back inside and sealing the doors and windows shut.

"Nicholas!" she shouted while pounding on the door, "Nicholas, open the door! Don't do it!"

But her words fell on deaf ears. Flamel was too consumed by his rage and bloodlust to hear her pleas. It looked like a scene out of a horror film as the flash of lightning shined on his face in the dark room.

"Like hell you're staying a member. First chance I get, I'm telling the others what you've done." he spat with his eyes glowing red and his hand surging with alchemic sparks. He didn't know what he was doing, it just came naturally to him; probably thanks to his mother's bloodlust being passed on to him. "Not that it's going to matter much. When I'm done with you, there won't be anything left for them shame."

With his heart hardened, and his eyes cold, Flamel grabbed Tucker's face in his tight grip and gave him the last words he'd ever hear. "Burn in hell."

In a brief flash of red lightning that shined through all the windows, Tucker's body erupted into blood before Flamel dropped his corpse onto the floor. At this point, more of Flamel's coat was stained with fresh blood leaving only a few scares places of white left. As soon as her father's body hit the ground, Nina crawled over to him and began to shed tears.

"Daddy's hurting." she said as her voice shook, "No, Daddy. Big brother?"

"You poor girl." Flamel whispered as he crouched to her level and gently stroked her jaw, "Once you've been given this form, there is nothing that can return you to the body you once had."

"Can we play now?" Nina asked as her grief confused her, "Can we play now?"

"Your suffering will soon end." he assured as he looked her in the eyes.

"Can we play-"

To spare her from any more pain, Flamel did to her what he did to her father only moments before. More blood began to stain his coat, much like how Nina's white fur was being stained with her father's blood mixed with hers.

After the deed had been done, Flamel exited the house and walked past his soaking wet sister. "What did you do?" she asked over the downpour and thunder, "Nicholas, what did you do?!"

But all he did was turn to her and said, "Go home, Regina."

After that, he wandered through the drenched woods to the tavern where the other alchemists were awaiting Tucker and his results. His coat was still red with blood, but the rain had managed to wash away what was splattered on his hands and face. However, he still had the look of a killer on his face, clear as day. When he entered the tavern, he saw only a few strangers along with the remaining alchemists at their usual table.

"Ah, Nicholas, welcome back." Maiza kindly greeted, "Come, join us. Tucker will be along soon to show us his newest experiment."

"Wait a minute, is that blood?!" Giroro exclaimed when he saw the boy's coat.

"What in the world happened to you?" Kimblee asked.

"That talking chimera Tucker created? It was his wife. He did the same thing to his daughter Nina last night." he explained with a blank face and tone.

"Yes, we know." Kimblee replied nonchalantly pulling Flamel back down to earth.

"What?" he asked as his anger returned.

"I told you it was a matter of time before he did the same to the girl. Pay up, Maiza." Giroro chuckled as Maiza smirked and handed him a pouch of money.

"Wait, you-you all knew?" Flamel asked.

"Of course, we knew." Szilard nodded, "We witnessed the procedure, ourselves. In fact, I suggested it to him to use his daughter the next time he would perform it. Considering there wouldn't be much of a difference in the chemical make-up, the chances of a rebound would be less than likely if done on another human. Where is he, anyway? You should have come across him on your way here."

"Probably took the time to play fetch with his daughter. If she's anything like how her mother turned out, he made her with a dog!" Giroro laughed before Flamel grabbed his face from behind and killed him like he had done Tucker.

"You bastards." he muttered as his shadows flooded the floor, "You sick, twisted bastards!"

Without any warning, the youngest alchemist sent his shadows into the chests of Maiza and Kimblee while only Szilard's legs were severed below his knees. As he tried to crawl away through his agonizing pain, he watched as the shadows tore the bodies they impaled apart. Not a split second later, the old man could feel several needles pierce through his lower back before seeing that it was Flamel using his spears. Out of fear, Szilard threw a nearby fork at his head only to watch it miss and knock over a lantern setting the tavern on fire. When he tried again with a knife, he smirked in victory as it landed in Flamel's head.

"Is that all you've got?" the boy asked as he yanked out the knife and healed his wounds, "You disappoint me, Szilard Quates."

"Please!" Szilard begged, "Please, Nicholas, don't kill me!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked pulling back his spears and watched as the old, fat man tumbled on his back, "You didn't seem to care when you suggested that Tucker should rob his daughter of her life. Just like I don't care that I'm about to rob you of yours. I suggest you repent to whatever god that comes to mind, Devouring Alchemist, because you're about to die at the hands of the _Immortal_ Alchemist."

"No!" he cried in protest before Flamel ended his life. Unlike with the others, Szilard's death was far more gruesome and horrific to explain. So for the sake of those who cannot stomach such atrocities, details of how Flamel killed him will not be provided.

As the young alchemist left the burning tavern, the rain had finally stopped, and the sun had come out to shine on his blood soaked coat. No traces of white were left on the fabric. He didn't care that he reeked of death, and he especially did not mourn over those whom he had killed aside from Nina. He was completely unfazed. Why should he be affected by it? What immortal should concern themselves over something like death?

 **OUaT**

Once Regina had finished explaining what her brother had done in the past, her other sister and her friend were stricken with horror. To be honest, horror may not be the appropriate word to describe what they were feeling; if there was even a word that could accurately describe their emotions.

"If you ladies are done reminiscing about the past," Skinner rudely spoke up, "Perhaps you should head back to the mansion. This place is no longer safe."

"You heard him." Nicholas said coldly looking over his shoulder, "Get going."

Not being able to bring themselves to speak, they each poofed themselves, and the baby, back to the mansion and out of harm's way; for now.

"Are you sure that was how you wanted them to see this side of you?" Mina asked her friend and fellow immortal.

"Did you have any alternatives in mind? Because if you did, it's a little late for that." Nicholas snapped.

"Perhaps," she nodded as she finally began to wipe her mouth, "But I've known you a long time, Nicholas Flamel, and I know what's going on in your head. Don't push them away too much just because you're concerned for their safety. You'll regret it if you do."

"But I'll regret it more if I let anything happen to them." he retorted as the guilt creeped on his face, "I meant what I said, if I had to do it again, I would still kill these boys."

"So long as you do not take pride in it, it proves you still have some part of humanity in you." she reminded.

"Wait." he said as something popped into his head, "What did you say?"

"I said, don't take pride in killing children." she shrugged.

"Pride." he repeated, "Pride did this. Pride drove these brats into doing this."

"The sin or the Homunculus?" Skinner asked.

"Both." Nicholas concluded, "Freckles over there said that it was some kid dressed in a suit. He manipulated the Lost Boy's pride and used it to his advantage to carve the final crest of blood. You know what that means?"

"We have an idea as to what one of the Homunculi looks like?" Giles asked.

"Yeah," Nicholas smirked, "And I'll bet he's nothing more than a scrawny kid, too. Which makes our job much easier."

"Does it?" Pride asked as his own shadows covered the ground around them with hundreds of small, black hands inching towards them, "You seem quite sure of yourself, Nicholas Flamel; and here I thought I was considered to be arrogant."

"Pride the Arrogant." Nicholas chuckled as his friends had their weapons at the ready while Pride's shadow covered the farmhouse facing them, "You bear a rather striking resemblance to your father. You must be his first creation, then. Makes sense. Pride was always his most treasured quality. So what brings the first Homunculus all the way out here? Is it to check and see that he was a good boy and did as his father told him?"

"Hey, you really think it's a good idea to taunt this thing?" Sawyer asked trying not to show his nerves, "Not all of us are immortal, you know."

"Relax, he's not going to try anything. He's arrogant, but he's not stupid. He knows that even if were up against just his shadow, we can still do some considerable damage to him. It's eight League agents against just one of him. The odds are against him tremendously." he smirked while Pride gritted his shadow's teeth, "Have I struck a nerve? Have I made you angry?"

"Anger does not exist in me." Pride retorted, "All emotions were purified from me thanks to Father. All that resides in me is pride."

"Pride, huh? So he really has rid himself of his inner desires. What a shame." Nicholas sighed, "There are seven deadly sins of man, lust, greed, sloth, gluttony, envy, wrath, pride. I've only had the displeasure of dealing with his Lust up until now. What reason could the firstborn of his children possibly have in facing us tonight?"

"Do I need a reason?" Pride asked, "For all you know, I could simply be observing your strengths."

"Do I need to retract my remark about you being stupid?" he asked, "Don't think you can lie to me. I know your kind better than anyone. If it hadn't been for me, you, or your father and siblings, wouldn't even exist."

"You wish to see Father, then?" Pride asked.

"Growing impatient, is he? How lamentable." he mocked as the shadows continued to glare at him, "Be a good boy and give him this message for me. Tell him Slave 23 sends his regards and that I'll be sure to pay him a personal visit on the Promised Day. Now run along home before I send you to your sister."

Pride said nothing as he slunk away to his body. However, he did have the faintest glint in his many eyes at the mentioning of Lust despite no one noticing.

 **OUaT**

As Flamel wandered through the woods, still drenched with blood, the horrors of what he had done had finally begun to sink in. His eyes were shaded and widened in shock as the numerous deaths began to fill him with dread. He had no idea of where he was or where he was going; he just didn't care. He didn't completely regret killing the other alchemists, but Nina's death, on the other hand, broke his heart.

As he trudged through the dark, Flamel tripped over a large tree root and fell to the ground. However, he didn't bother to pick himself up, the dam had finally burst and the alchemist's heartbroken and guilty tears streamed down from his face; and though he didn't realize, the strange coin he received in Arendelle fell out of his pocket and rolled about a foot in front of him.

"I'm sorry!" he sobbed into the ground, "I'm sorry!"

Dred and despair began to consume Flamel as what he had done in addition to his past turmoil returning to the surface to haunt him. But as it did, an unexpected presence came into the woods and approached him.

Seemingly cloaked in a warm, pale and comforting light, a barefoot man with a long braid draped over his shoulder in white robes with a blue tunic underneath wielding a strange staff gently walked towards Flamel. Somehow, this person had seen everything Flamel had done since the sun had risen that morning and had something special in mind for him. Kneeling down, he picked up the coin and gently placed a hand on Flamel's head.

"In these realms we know of, there are those who disregard the sanctity and beauty of life. Those alchemists were such people. When the safety of innocent people is in jeopardy, we take up arms to fight when they cannot. At times, it may end in the death of those whom we fight if they refuse to renounce their ways. What you did was the right thing to do. Those men could not have been allowed to live, and that poor girl would never have been able to return to her original form or live a peaceful life like she deserved. But there are other ways to deal threats like that; other ways to protect people. Let me show you the way, and I can promise you, you will never have to lose the ones you love again. Though, I will warn you, the road will be long and hard and sacrifices _will_ be made. But if you can face this, nothing will be able to stop you."

"Why me?" Flamel asked.

"Because," the man smiled patting his head, "Only the extraordinary are capable of taking up this responsibility. And you, well, you are extraordinary, Nicholas Flamel."

Standing up, the man continued to give a kind smile as he offered his hand to the boy, "Join us, and become strong."

"Join what?" he asked, "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"I represent and lead a secret organization sworn to protect the realms from dangers their people cannot defeat on their own. We are known as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and I am its director. Call me 'S'. What say you, Immortal Alchemist? Will you join us?"

"…Yes."

 **Okay, sorry that this isn't a new chapter, midterms and homework have been killer these past few weeks. Any way, I just wanted to finally get to how Nicholas actually joined the League and eventually, I'll be getting to how his teammates and the newcomers joined, as well. Hope you all liked it and if you have any thoughts or questions, let me know.**

 **I'll answer all of them except who the Director is; that's a surprise for later. ;)**

 **Like I said, this one was pretty dark. Be prepared to read darker chapters whenever the League is involved. I make no promises about what I might write aside from nothing sexual, dark or otherwise.**

 **Also, I hope you liked the two alchemists from "Baccano!" I finally got the chance to watch it and was immediately hooked. Speaking of which, don't worry about who played the characters who died in this chapter, just use your imagination.**

 **Now then, as I have said in previous chapters, updates will come at a slower pace now that I am back to school. In addition to that, there are some groups and clubs that I have joined so those will take up some of my time, as well. I'll update when I can, and I will gladly discuss any ideas you awesome readers present if you have any you want to discuss; just review or PM me if you do.**

 **As always, I hope you liked this, and please, do let me know what you think. Your feedback gives me motivation and inspiration to continue. Can't wait until next time.**

 **Later!**


	72. First Blood

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

 **Enjoy!**

"He did what?!" David exclaimed into his wife's cell phone while on speaker. On the other end was their daughter still held up in the mansion. It was two days following the massacre she witnessed the previous night which meant there were only two days left until the eclipse.

"You heard me." Emma sighed, "He and the others killed them, all of them."

"My God." Snow whispered shakenly, "This is the kind of person he really is?"

"I don't know, Mom." her daughter sighed, "I don't know what to believe, anymore. I thought I knew him, but now I realize he's a complete stranger to me. You should've seen the look in his eyes after he killed that kid. I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, Emma, I'm sorry." she apologized, "When are you coming home?"

"They won't let me, Zelena or Gold leave. Nicholas said it was too dangerous for us to be out there. And, apparently, his 'boss' doesn't trust us enough to let us out of any of his agents' sights. Regina's headed home to check on Henry, so she'll probably give you the rest of the details."

"Can't you just 'poof' back for a little bit?" Snow asked.

"If I do, Quartermain said he'll just send someone to bring me back. These people don't play games, Mom."

"Why don't I head over there and let that old man know that he can't go around giving my daughter orders?" David suggested slightly angered.

"You can try, but something tells me there's a pretty good reason why Nicholas is afraid of him." Emma replied.

"He is?" her father asked.

"I think." she shrugged, "I've noticed he and some of the others get a little nervous whenever Quartermain gets angry, so it's possible he either scares them or just intimidates them. How bad is it outside?"

"It could be worse, or at least, it will get worse." Snow sighed, "A bunch of Nemo's men are blocking off certain areas in town and preventing people from getting past the borders. Some of them are even covering certain spots with barbed wire, sandbags and barricade spikes; the rest are in the woods and on the streets and rooftops with guns keeping lookout."

"It looks like a warzone." David remarked.

"The way these guys are talking and planning, it just might be one tomorrow." Emma scoffed.

"Has Nicholas told you anything else about these Homunculi things?" Snow asked.

"Not really. Aside from each of them having one of his abilities and those crests of blood he mentioned the other night, he isn't saying much; he's actually been avoiding me." she replied in disappointment.

"Maybe he feels guilty about what he did." David offered in hopes to cheer up his daughter.

"No." Emma flatly denied, "I could see it in his eyes, he doesn't have the slightest sense of remorse over what he did; to him his actions were completely justified, no matter how terrible they were."

"Terrible, were they?" Skinner asked from behind Emma against the wall. He was leaning on the doorframe to the stairwell for the second level with his arms crossed and an arrogant smirk on his makeup covered face.

"Mom, Dad, I'll have to call you back." the blonde said glaring at the Invisible Man while hanging up the old fashioned phone, "What do you want?"

"That's the one question I can never give a straight answer to, darling." Skinner chuckled, "I'm a very greedy man so there's a great many things that I want. But I suppose I'll settle for an answer to my previous question, were our actions really so terrible last night?"

"You murdered a bunch of teenage boys." Emma growled.

"Ah, so you think we went overboard, then." Skinner nodded still smirking, "I see. However, you make it sound like we did it in cold blood to a group of innocents."

"They were kids!" she snapped.

"Youth isn't an excuse for innocence, sweetheart." he smoothly retorted, "Have you forgotten that they attempted to kill you and your loved ones and nearly succeeded in killing your father back in Neverland? They had no qualms with killing you, so why should Nicholas, or any of us for that matter, have any qualms over killing them?"

"What?" Emma asked not believing her ears.

"We don't pretend to be saints, so don't think we'll act like them to save face, Swan." Skinner chuckled, "In our line of work, we've all grasped the true understanding of how the realms work; kill or be killed. This realm has just diluted itself and its people into believing some overly complicated moral bull. Consider yourself to be one of the bamboozled."

"That's not true." she denied, "I refuse to accept that. There is always another way, you did not have to kill those boys if you had just tried!"

"Weren't you listening to Nicholas?" he asked, "It's like he said, they would have died that night either way, be it by our hands or the Homunculi's. Besides, you should be thanking us. We managed to save a baby and spare Storybrooke from a domestic terrorist group all in one night. I call that a win-win."

"They weren't terrorists, dammit!"

"No? Vandalizing public property and businesses while causing violence in the name of protesting the ruling power of a community without a care over who gets hurt or killed in the process doesn't seem like terrorism to you?" Skinner asked getting close to her, "Those 'children' you keep defending weren't as innocent as you thought they were. They took advantage of the times you were busy dealing with villains and off to other realms and did exactly those things. Pan may be dead, Swan, but his legacy sure isn't; well, it wasn't until last night, that is."

"I'm not gonna waste my time with you." Emma sneered as she shoved past him.

"Killing someone may be wrong, but it isn't necessarily bad, either." Skinner continued causing her to stop, "It's a hard choice, but sometimes it can be the best one out of your other options. Where do you think this town would be if Rumplestiltskin hadn't killed his father or if Nicholas spared George? Or what might have happened if you hadn't killed Cruella DeVill? Threats were eliminated and people were saved, exactly like what we did, have done, and will continue to do. Is that really such a bad thing?"

Emma may have listened to the Gentleman's words, but she certainly didn't reply to them. Instead, she brought herself to head up the stairs in order to get away from the chastising agent behind her.

"Don't forget, Swan," he added as she continued to walk, "This is the same ideology Nicholas believes in. If you truly love him, then you _will_ have to accept that."

Despite wanting to push away Skinner's words from her mind, Emma couldn't help but dwell on them. On one hand, she was completely against everything he said and refused to believe in the cold truth in his words. But on the other hand, having grown up in a harsh reality herself, and living her entire life in a cold and cruel world, she could understand how permanently getting rid of an enemy could be a good thing. Had she let her parents' beliefs cloud her judgment? Could she be clinging to a false hope of redemption for all because Regina and Hook, two of her closest friends who were once villains, were able to turn good? Who knows? Certainly not her at this point.

As she headed up the stairs, she looked up and saw Mina through the metal banister glaring at her as she sharpened her daggers. Unlike before, she wasn't wearing a black dress and vail like she was going to a funeral. Instead, she was wearing a tight, black leather combat suit with a long skirt wrapped around her waist; she also had her red hair flowing down her back. Normally, Emma wasn't intimidated by just a glare, but Mina's blood red eyes narrowing down at her didn't exactly give her a warm feeling inside.

These people, these "Extraordinary Gentlemen" as they called themselves, they didn't make any sense to Emma. She had hoped that Nicholas coming clean would finally give her some answers, not more questions. Wanting the answers to those questions, she tried to find her mysterious boyfriend only to bump into him on the stairs.

"Watch where you're-oh, it's you." Nicholas said dropping his annoyed tone to a relieved one and smile; one Emma did not return.

"What are those?!" she asked loudly as she took notice of a pair of strange black, metal gauntlets over his coat sleeves.

"Hmm? Oh, these." he replied as he raised his arms, "They're some improvements I made to those lightning alchemy claws I made. Remember? The ones I used on the Chernabog. I finally managed to put the finishing touches on last night. Pretty cool, huh?"

Taking a close look at the gauntlets, cool was not really a word Emma would have chosen. Over his sleeves and alchemy gloves, the gauntlets went from just below his elbows to his fingertips which were covered by inch long claws. Like the older design, there was a small metal plate on each of his palms connected to several steel wires; this time, however, they went between his fingers instead of over them.

"Sure." Emma said skeptically nodding her head, "Listen, Nicholas, I need to talk to you."

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, listen-"

"No, you're not. What's wrong?" he asked in concern before narrowing his eyes in irritation, "Did somebody say something to you? They did, didn't they? Who was it? Mina? Quartermain? Skinner?"

"I don't know, whichever the one who's invisible." Emma replied, "Anyway, that's not the point."

"Skinner? What did he say?" Nicholas asked while Emma just shrugged it off and looked away, "Emma, you can tell me anything. You know that, right?"

"Can I?!" she snapped, "Or are you going to kill me if I keep secrets from you like you did to the Lost Boys?!"

"Sigh, you're still angry about that, aren't you?" he asked in an understanding tone.

"Ya think?!" she shouted, "I can't believe that you kept this from me the whole time! And the day you tell me is the day that you and your gang, or whatever, kill a bunch of teenagers?! What else aren't you telling me, Nicholas?"

"First of all, we are not a gang, we are a highly trained, professional organization that has operated for almost a thousand years. Secondly, only what you haven't asked answers for." he calmly replied, "It's like I said, I'll answer any question you have for me; all you need to do is ask."

"Fine." Emma huffed before stomping over to a nearby chair and table and plopped down in the seat with her arms and legs crossed.

"What, now?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes, now." his girlfriend sharply replied.

"Okay." he relented as he sat in the chair beside her, "What else do you want to know?"

"Do you even care about the lives you took last night? Or do they not matter to you 'Gentlemen'?" Emma hotly asked.

"Honestly? Not really." he shrugged.

"What?!" she shrieked.

"Emma, I don't know what you're expecting me to say here." Nicholas sighed, "Those boys tried to kill my sister and my niece, that's not something I'm going to forgive easily, if at all. Not to mention, in the past, they've tried to kill you, Regina, Hook, and your parents. Why should I feel any remorse for my enemies if they've done stuff like that? Quite frankly, I'm surprised that you and your parents feel as though you can lecture me after all you've done."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It means that you're sounding like your hypocritical parents, that's what." Mina replied coldly as she climbed the stairs, "After all, your parents killed plenty of innocent people back in the day, too. Those black knights that served Regina when she was the queen? Yeah, they didn't have a choice in serving her. Those that didn't stay out of fear were the ones that either had their hearts ripped out and were controlled by them, or had their families threatened by Nicholas' deranged sister ended up dead. So many men who didn't even want to fight for Regina were killed at the hands of your parents and their forces. I guess the fact that their faces were always covered made it easier for them to forget killing them, right?"

"Mina," Nicholas sighed.

"No!" the vampire snapped, "Enough is enough, Nicholas. I am tired of those people calling themselves heroes and deeming you as a monster when we are all guilty of the same crimes! You know what those arrogant bastards did and how they never expressed their condolences to the families they tore apart! Your parents never cared what happened to those trapped inside that castle's walls, they only saw them as Regina's loyal minions. You call yourselves heroes? Please. All you people do is clean up the messes thrown in your faces. There's no such thing as a hero or a villain; there is only perspective. And if you weren't so blinded by your own stupidity, you'd-"

"Mina!" Nicholas shouted as he shot from his seat and slammed his fist on the table with a hard glare. The sudden outburst naturally startled Emma and stopped Mina mid-rant. Up until she decided to call his true love stupid, Nicholas agreed to everything his teammate and friend was saying. At that point, he wasn't going to simply sit down and let his fellow immortal insult her like that.

"That is enough." he growled dangerously, "Go into town and oversee our next phase in the town's defenses."

"Hmph," she scoffed in annoyance before stomping downstairs and out of the room.

"Sorry about that." Nicholas apologized with an awkward chuckle while rubbing the back of his head, "Mina tends to rant when she's angry. Though, aside from her calling you stupid, which was uncalled for, she does have a point. Snow and David did kill plenty of Regina's knights during their little war and they neglected to offer their condolences to their families once they took back the kingdom, Emma. Trust me, I saw plenty of grieving mothers, widows and children when I was living in the castle. Besides, your father suggested killing Regina after the first curse, and the two of them and you, as well, had every intention of killing the both of us when we were framed for those murders; not to mention when your mother tricked Regina into killing our mother. And let's not forget what you did to Cruella."

"That's not-"

"Any different than what I did to those little thugs last night." he interrupted dryly, "What you did to Cruella was done in order to protect Henry, just like I did what I did to protect Zelena and Robin. Why can't you see that?"

To be honest, she didn't actually have an answer. Emma was unable to come up with any reason or excuse to justify why she was so upset. Even if Zelena wasn't in any danger thanks to the Homunculi wanting her alive, that didn't mean that Robin was safe from harm. While she just sat in her chair, Nicholas answered a call on his cell.

"What is it?" he asked.

"We're about to begin the final sequence in our line of defense." Quartermain replied on the other line, "Bring the Savior if you feel like coming to watch. Skinner and Sawyer will be keeping an eye on the witch and Dark One in the mansion."

"Understood. We'll be there in a minute." Nicholas nodded before hanging up and rising from his chair, "Well, then, you up for getting some fresh air?"

"What?" Emma asked being pulled from her thoughts.

"Nemo's about to put the final touches on our defensive measures for the town. Boss wants me to head in and help out which means that you're gonna have to tag along." he explained while offering her his hand and a smile she hadn't seen in what seemed like ages, "Come on, it's gonna be frickin awesome."

"O-okay." she nodded as he pulled her up and transported them to the beach just by the pier where some of the other agents were waiting and staring out at the sea, "What are we doing here?"

"Just watch." he said trying to contain his excitement. Just a few seconds later, the water erupted in a long wall of water as something very large and long sprung forth from beneath the waves. Emma had to hold back an exclamation when it happened while the others either chuckled, smirked or simply stared at the spectacle. When the mist and water cleared, the blonde savior was able to see the Nautilus in all her glory. It was then that she noticed Nemo wasn't amongst the group watching this. Instead, he was at the chrome helm of his masterpiece with his crew scrambling to their positions. Instead of seeing the bow of his ship as per usual, Nemo somehow rotated the position of the control room to face the starboard side of the ship in direction of Storybrooke.

"Preparations have been set, Captain." Ismael informed at his captain's right, "Everything is ready. We await your orders."

"Disengage couplings to the stern and bow." Nemo ordered as he grasped two separate handles to rotating panels marked with angle degrees.

"All hands, disengage couplings to the stern and bow. Stand by." Ismael repeated to the crew via microphone. Outside the ship, the stern and bow of the Nautilus slightly ejected and released steam from the gap revealing what seemed like oversized hinges to Emma whose mouth was agape in bewilderment.

"Couplings have been successfully disengaged, Captain." Ismael informed.

"Activate water filters along the keel line and brace for grappler activation." Nemo ordered while flipping a few nearby switches.

"Aye, sir." his first mate nodded before relaying the order to the rest of the crew. Just below the water, just above the keel line, the ship opened to revel a long set of water filters that allowed the water to flow through. Following this, beneath the filters, large, fanged wheels dug into the ground and began to pull the Nautilus towards the beach. "All hands, brace for bow and stern trajectory adjustment."

"Adjust stern ten degrees, Captain." one of the shipmates advised as he looked through his binoculars.

"Negative thirteen degrees for the bow, sir." another added as Nemo swiveled the handles. Outside, the two ends of the ship gradually folded in to each specific angle as it drew in closer.

"Another five degrees stern, Captain."

"Maintain current angle position for the bow for the next five meters." the sailor said, "Retract three degrees, Captain."

"Add eight degrees stern, sir."

"Maintain current angles, Captain." Ishmael advised, "At the ready…full stop!"

"Aye, sir. Full stop." the other sailor acknowledged.

As the mighty vessel came to its sudden stop, everyone was able to see the purpose of the event. As a reminder, Storybrooke's pier is rather small and the beach nearby happens to end at two nearby cliffs/gulfs. With that in mind, picture the angled Nautilus barricading the town from the sea from gulf to gulf with the pier and town within its borders.

"Good work, men." Nemo praised, "Drop anchors and prepare munitions along the starboard side."

"Aye, Captain." Ishmael and the others replied saluting their captain as he left the room.

Needless to say, Emma's mouth was agape when all was said and done. "What the hell was that?" she asked bluntly as she stared the oversized sub.

"That was our final phase in Storybrooke's defenses for the Promised Day, Emma." Nicholas said proudly as he smiled up at the Nautilus, "This is just incase the enemy tries to escape to the sea or if they try to attack us from sea. And if push comes to shove and they have more firepower than we anticipated, we'll be able to use the ship's cannons and mortars on them."

"Aren't you worried that they might destroy this thing, or something?" she asked.

"Nah." he waved off, "Nemo did a lot of reinforcement work to the outer hull a long time ago. The Amestrians would need armor piercing tank ammunition to bust a hole in the old girl; which they don't have because their technology hasn't advanced enough to develop that kind of weaponry yet. Besides, his crew is under orders to keep them away from the ship as much as possible and try to keep the fighting within the town."

"Hopefully, that won't be happening anytime soon today." Giles remarked jinxing them all.

Beneath Storybrooke, Father sat in his cold, stone throne and smirked darkly as if he just heard what the LXG agent had said up above. All over town, his offspring were scattered in anticipation for their day of triumph. Lust, Envy and Gluttony were in the woods, Greed was wandering through the town eagerly awaiting the chance to kill someone, Pride was at his father's side, and Wrath was driving into town in an old fashioned car.

"Hear me, my children." Father said reaching out to them, "The time has come. Engage the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

"As you wish, Father." they all responded with evil grins as they ran off to cause trouble.

"Wrath, I now speak directly to you." Father informed to his son, "Return with the final sacrifice, at once. Disregard any human along your path."

"It shall be done, Father." Wrath replied obediently as he drove.

"If it is a war you want, Flamel," Father said as his children began their individual attacks on the town, "Then it is a war you shall have."

Greed was the first begin the assault by tearing out the throats of the two nearest members of Nemo's crew causing an uproar of panic from the townsfolk who witnessed it. Gluttony left no room for manners as he began to feed on the sailors stationed in the woods while his siblings either impaled them or crushed their skulls with monstrous strength before setting their sights on the mansion. Somehow, the alarm was sounded and alerted everyone in town to the situation.

"And so it begins." Quartermain muttered in annoyance as he readied his riffle.

"What's going on?" Emma asked as the others drew their weapons.

"They've begun their attack." Quixote replied.

"What?" she asked in shock, "But-but you said the Promised Day was two days from now! Why are they starting now?!"

"Most likely to get rid of us." Jekyll suggested, "We are their only opposition, after all."

"Everyone, get ready." Mina warned with her eyes glowing red as she sensed the surrounding area, "Something's coming; something big."

"Big? How big?!" Emma asked.

"It's coming from underground." Nicholas informed as the familiar presence filled his stomach with disgust.

"Who's coming where? Hello?! Normal person here, I can't see through concrete!" Emma shouted before the ground erupted beneath them creating a large crater.

"Watch out!" Quartermain exclaimed as he pulled Emma away from falling in. Crawling out of the hole, a large, muscular man with long black hair with shackles on his wrists came into view. He also had a strange red mark covering his right eye and traveling down to his right palm, and he wore what Emma thought to be a cross between overalls and a black wrestling leotard. But the most eye-catching feature on his body was the small Ouroborous tattoo over his right kidney area.

"Augh," he said in a low, dumb, sluggish voice while shielding his eyes from the sun, "Bright."

"What the hell is that?" Emma asked as Nicholas practically began to growl.

"Why is everything so bright? Such a pain." the behemoth complained lazily.

"See that tattoo on his back?" Nicholas asked trying to control his hatred, "That'll tell you what that _thing_ is. He's a Homunculus. And judging by that lazy persona he's giving off, he's the dwarf's Sloth."

"Now, what was it Father wanted me to do, again?" Sloth asked himself as he rubbed his head. Obviously, he hadn't even noticed the others glaring at him.

"You've got point on this, Flamel." Quartermain reminded, "What do we do?"

"What do you think?" he spat, "Kill it!"

Needing no more words from the immortal, each agent pulled out their own firearms and fired at the Homunculus. Unfortunately, it was too stupid to realize that it was being shot until one bullet went through his nose. It was then that he finally took notice of them as they continued to shoot.

"Ah, I remember." he said lazily, "I kill the ones from the League or whatever."

Without any warning, Sloth gave his arms a powerful swing and sent his chains at the agents. "Down!" Quartermain barked as they all dropped just before the chains could hit them, "Flamel! Get her out of here!"

"Roger!" Nicholas nodded as he picked Emma up and led her to safety; unfortunately, Sloth had something else in mind.

"Come back. Sacrifices must come with us, Father says so." he said as swung his chain over Emma's head. But just before it could crush her, Quartermain suddenly appeared behind her and blocked the attack with his riffle and a very enraged expression.

"Am I the only one who's going to do their damn job here?!" he snarled as the others stopped gawking at him and continued to attack.

Giles made the first move by shooting Sloth's knee which gave Quartermain the edge he needed to pull him in, bash his face, stab him with his weapon's knife, and shoot him all in one go. After he did, Mina, with her tremendous vampire strength, sunk her claws into his arm, flung him over her shoulder, slammed him into the ground and crushed his face with a mighty punch.

However, when they saw the familiar red sparks cover his wounds, it was then that the agents remembered the disadvantage they had in this battle. In all honesty, even if Quartermain didn't, the others were regretting sending Nicholas away from the fight.

"Ow," Sloth moaned as he healed, "Hurt."

"Well, at least we've managed to kill him once." Mina dryly quipped. As the Homunculus healed, Nemo's crew scrambled about their stations in the Nautilus.

"Status report." Nemo ordered as he returned to the control room.

"Reports of Homunculi attacks are coming from all over the town, Captain." a sailor informed, "One is currently causing a riot in town, another is being engaged by agents Quartermain, Harker, Jekyll and Bluebeard."

"Civilian casualties?" he asked.

"Three deaths have been confirmed in the town square, sir. We've just received word that the Homunculus isn't working alone."

"The Amestrians?" Nemo asked surprised.

"Negative, sir. Our men have reported that they appear to be some sort of human-animal hybrids."

"What?!" Nemo exclaimed.

"You know of these beasts, sir?" Ishmael asked.

"Chimeras." Nemo nodded, "Nicholas warned us that the enemy might play this card. They are humans given animal features and abilities through alchemic procedures. Send word to all our forces, shoot any chimera on sight; no mercy!"

"Captain!" another sailor alerted with the radio in his hand, "We have a transmission from the mansion; it's agent Sawyer, sir."

"Sawyer, it's Nemo. What's going?" he asked taking the receiver.

"Nemo, send reinforcements!" Sawyer shouted over the sound of gunfire, "The mansion's under attack and we've lost just about half the men you had stationed here. Three Homunculi are attacking the base. Repeat: _three_ Homunculi are attacking the goddamn mansion! We think they're here for the sacrifices."

"Have you been able to contact either Quixote or Shan Yu?" Nemo asked trying to stay calm.

"Negative," he replied as he fired again, "We have the debriefing room under lockdown and we gave our shells to the witch and Dark One for emergencies."

"Hold your ground and keep the sacrifices safe; do not let them out for any reason until the Homunculi are either gone or dead. I'll send Shan Yu and Quixote to give you back up." Nemo informed.

"You may have to rethink that, mi amigo." Quixote argued from another transmission, "Yu and I are currently indisposed."

"Another one?" Nemo sighed.

"The shadowy one, to be exact." Quixote replied just before one of Pride's shadows destroyed his radio while trying to break past Shan Yu's defense, "Ay-ay-ay. For the League!" he cried as he charged the young looking monster with his spear.

"Quixote?" Nemo asked as he checked the feed, "Quixote! Dammit!"

"Sir?" a young sailor asked his furious captain.

"Send all available troops to eliminate the chimeras in town. Use whatever methods, whatever weapons, anything to ensure the safety of the civilians of Storybrooke!" Nemo ordered as grabbed his sword and stormed out of the control room, "I'm going to the mansion to back Skinner and Sawyer. Ishmael, you have the com. If anyone needs our support, tell them to give their coordinates and we'll blast the enemy away with our mortars."

"Aye-aye, sir." Ishmael nodded as his captain left.

Back in town, Greed the Avaricious was having the time of his life. All around him, the lower lifeforms he and his family despised were either being beaten within an inch of death or running around screaming frantically while his "possessions" ran amuck through the town. To clarify, his possessions were the chimeras his father had created and liked to hang around with him. Most of them saw Greed as either their friend or their boss. Either way, when they were told by Nicholas' pale look-alike they were going to have the chance to wreak havoc in town for a whole day, so long as they didn't kill too many people, it was like Christmas had come early this year.

"Hey, Greed!" a large chimera called, who had been mixed with bull DNA, lugging around a cinderblock on a metal rod, "You sure we can't just go ahead and kill these people already?"

"Yeah!" another asked with scales and a tale just above his ratty old sweats. Behind him was a woman wearing a tank top and camo pants and a guy wearing a sweat stained whit hoodie and black pants. "What's the big deal? So what if a couple of people get killed? As long as we have some fun, right?"

"The big deal, Martel," Greed warned with a dark smirk as he pressed his shield covered claws against her throat, "Is that we need these people alive for Father's plan. I told you, you had permission to have fun, true. But I also told you that you aren't allowed to kill anyone. If you do, then I'll have to kill you. Same goes for the rest of you. Your 'fun' is limited to vandalism, robberies and physical assaults only. Killing, however, is a big no-no."

"Maybe for you!" Nicholas shouted as he killed the woman and lizard man with his spears before tossing their corpses away. Unfazed by the deaths of his possessions, Greed, still smirking, looked over to the enraged looking alchemist and his Savior.

"Hmm, so he really does look like the old man." Greed muttered as he straightened himself up, "I take it you're the so-called 'Immortal Alchemist', Nicholas Flamel, huh? Aside from that tacky red coat you're wearing, I can't say you're all that terrifying. Then again, that hell-fire-glare you're giving me may just change my mind."

As soon as Greed said this, Emma noticed the expression on her boyfriend's face, as well; and if anyone had asked, she would've admitted that seeing it slightly startled her, even if it wasn't directed towards her. It was the same look he gave Sloth, dilated pupils, bloodshot eyes, furrowed brow, gritting teeth and an animalistic growl creeping up his throat. Only one word best described this expression; hatred. Pure, bloodthirsty hatred. Not even Regina back when she was the Evil Queen was capable of making such a face. Without any warning, Nicholas sent his spear towards Greed's head as fast as he could only to grunt in surprise as the Homunculus grabbed it in-between his shield covered fingers.

"Ooh-hoo!" Greed taunted as he broke off the spears, "Feisty. This'll be fun."

"Emma," Nicholas snarled viciously as his wounds healed, "Go back to the loft, or find cover, now."

"But, Nicholas-"

"Do as I say!" he shouted in his rage causing the blonde to step back in fear. Not wanting to infuriate her lover any further, Emma did as she was told and headed to the loft to check on her parents. Staring the smirking Homunculus down with fury in his eyes, Nicholas readied his claws and roared at his enemy before charging at him. "Come on!" he cried before they clashed.

 **Okay, sorry this took so long, but the past two months have been very busy and stressful for me which didn't give me much time to write. With that in mind, the next three weeks will be even more busy and stressful on account of finals, so don't expect a new chapter until around Christmas; I may even do like a holiday one shot if I get around to it or feel like it.**

 **Also, I am lacking inspiration at the moment, so unless anyone has any suggestions/ideas, it may take even longer because this one took me forever to finally settle on. So feedback is very much appreciated.**

 **Like/Follow the story/me if you already haven't and I'll see you next time.**


	73. A Gentlemen's Duty

**Happy New Year, everybody! I know it's a bit late for that, but I felt as though I should say it anyway. Sorry for taking so long on this, finals were hell and I had a hard time sticking with ideas that I liked for this chapter. It took me awhile, but what I have in store for all of you is the best that popped into my head.**

 **Also, here's a heads up regarding future chapters. This past fall, I decided to answer the call and serve my country in the U.S. Army. I'm not an enlisted, I'll be taking ROTC courses at my university starting this spring semester. Because of this, I'm in training to get in shape and I'll be working harder in school in order to become a better leader and this will take up time I originally thought I would use for writing this story. Now, that being said, I am not abandoning this story, nor will I stop any time soon, all I ask is for a little patience in-between updates (I'll be sure to let you all know whenever I'm going to be away from writing for long periods of time, like for Basic Camp this summer). But until then, I'll be writing as much as I can and will hopefully get through this saga before that time arrives; no promises.**

 **Oh, and one final thing before the story continues, I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but Sloth will be played by The Great Kali. He's the wrestler who played that really big Russian CHAOS agent in the Steve Carrel "Get Smart" movie.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and had a good holiday season. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG or FMAB.**

"Mom?" Emma asked barging in worried, "Dad?!"

"Emma?" Snow asked lowering her bow by Neal's crib, "What's going on out there?"

"It's the Homunculi. They've started their attack." she replied.

"What?" her mother asked as her eyebrows shot up, "How bad is it?"

"Bad." David answered after getting off his cell phone, "That was Regina. Zelena called her and said that she and Gold are being held in the mansion while the agents watching them are fighting some of the Homunculi. For some reason, they can't even poof out. Where's Nicholas?"

"He's outside fighting a Homunculus, right now. I don't know who it is, but he has Nicholas' shield and a whole bunch of human/animal hybrids tearing up the town. You guys need to stay here, no matter what; it's too dangerous out there." Emma warned.

"But what about you?" Snow asked in concern.

"If I'm as valuable to them as Nicholas says, then those guys won't hurt me. But that doesn't mean I can't hurt them." she said ready to fight.

Back at the mansion, Sawyer and Skinner were finding it difficult to deal with the trio of artificial humans attacking them. So far, more than half of Nemo's men who were stationed there had been killed/eaten by Lust, Envy and Gluttony. Naturally, because of this, the two agents kept their distance at first and only used riffles. However, they quickly became fed up with this and took a more direct approach.

"Enough of this!" Sawyer shouted before leaping over his cover and sliding down the roof as he fired his weapon.

"Sawyer?! Get back here!" Skinner shouted despite his protest being pointless, "Oh, bloody hell!"

"Well, looky here." Envy taunted once Sawyer stood before them, "Looks like the little human wants to play up close and personal now."

"You've killed enough people today." Sawyer seethed pointing his weapon at him, "It's your turn, now."

"Well, aren't you confident?" Lust scoffed with a smirk, "I don't suppose I need to remind you that it took Flamel himself to kill me. What chances do you think either of you have?"

"Wait, you're Lust?" Sawyer asked in surprise.

"Oh," Skinner said with dread, "Nicholas is not going to be happy."

"I ain't telling him!" he exclaimed, "But to answer your question, Lust the Lascivious, our chances are just as good because there is one thing we have in common with old Nicholas."

"And what's that?" she asked before Skinner rushed over to her, grabbed her head and slammed her face into his knee with tremendous force.

"We, too, are extraordinary." the Invisible Man smirked.

"What the hell?!" Envy cried in surprise before Skinner knocked him to the ground with a roundhouse kick, "Gluttony, don't just stand there! Eat them!"

"Okay!" the fat Homunculus cheered. As he ran over to Sawyer, the seventh seat shot off his jaw and filled his fat stomach with lead rather than himself.

"Argh, this is ridiculous!" Envy snarled as he and his siblings healed, but as they did, the ground underneath them shined with red transmutation circles causing them all to look afraid.

"What?!" they all thought while the two agents smirked and thought back to what Nicholas had told them the day before.

 **OUaT**

"Alright, guys, listen up." he said with a pointer's stick in his hand in front of the layout map of the mansion's surrounding area, "This is meant as a safety precaution incase any of the Homunculi feel gutsy enough to attack us or the mansion. Throughout the mansion's surrounding area, I have set up dozens of hidden transmutation circles that will react to the use of tectonic energy."

"Tect-what?" Shan Yu asked gruffly crossing his arms, "What are you talking about, Flamel?"

"Tectonic energy is the natural energy that flows through the ground and is the main power source of alchemy." he explained, "Without it, alchemy, or rather, the kind of alchemy I use, cannot be performed. These circles will act as land mines that will detonate whenever tectonic energy is used."

"But won't that just blow you up?" Sawyer asked, "Why would you set up land mines that only work on you, Nicholas?"

"Because they don't only hurt _me_." Nicholas corrected pointing his stick at his friend, "The Homunculi are incapable of using alchemy like I can, however, they do use tectonic energy whenever their wounds heal. Therefore, in order to activate the circles, they need to be wounded. But with that in mind, I can't exactly stick around and fight in this area without setting off at least one circle, so all the fighting I'll be doing will be in town away from the trap zone."

"That shouldn't be too hard." Jekyll observed, "Even the slightest scratch causes your stone to instantly heal you. The same should apply to them, correct?"

"Exactly." he nodded, "Just remember, these are like land mines; they can only be used once each. Don't worry about getting caught in the crossfire, though. They won't cause a chain reaction if one goes off and they won't cause any explosions. They are designed to only harm anything that uses tectonic energy; so just me and the Homunculi."

"Wait a moment," Mina interjected, "You said they _don't_ cause explosions? Well, what do they do?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." he smirked in excitement.

 **OUaT**

In a startling instant and display of alchemic genius, the circles activated and did their work on the enemy. Lust impaled by a large spike made from the ground that kept producing smaller spikes like tree branches, Gluttony was wrapped in red lightning before his head popped like a bloody balloon, and Envy was grabbed by an earthy fist that shot into the air before coming back down and slamming him to the ground.

"You know? Sometimes I forget just how much of a sadist Nicholas can be." Sawyer bluntly remarked.

"Uh-huh." Skinner nodded.

Back in town, Sloth was still causing trouble for the four agents. Thankfully, due to his lazy persona, his attacks were slow, sloppy and looked more like a drunk body builder trying to swat away a couple of flies. Quartermain and Mina had done a bit of damage to the behemoth, but it wasn't enough to bring him down. As they took to close combat, Jekyll and Bluebeard gave them support with their guns. Unfortunately, it was a sunny morning in Storybrooke, and Mina was growing weaker by the second.

As mentioned before, Mina was capable of withstanding sunlight for short periods of time, but that had long since passed since she began fighting and she was struggling to keep up the fight against Sloth. Jekyll knew what he had to do.

"Mina can't keep this up much longer; she needs to get out of the sunlight." Jekyll replied as he came up with a plan, "Giles, give me your knife!"

"Catch!" Bluebeard replied as he tossed the blade over. Not a moment later upon catching it, Jekyll ran towards Sloth and slid beneath him, through his legs before climbing onto his back where he began to repeatedly stab him.

"Get off!" Sloth sluggishly demanded as he swung his arms and moved in whatever direction Jekyll led him to.

"Doctor," Quartermain said to Mina as he covered her with his coat, "I believe you've been tapped out. Get out of the sun, leave this to us."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Q." she reluctantly nodded as she hurried over to the nearest source of shade. As she did, Jekyll continued to stab Sloth while ridding him like a bull. Stab after stab, the lean doctor continued to shank the oversized Homunculus as fast as he regenerated. Unfortunately, this did not last as long as they would have preferred when Sloth finally managed to grab Jekyll and toss him over his shoulder. Thankfully, Quartermain was still able to provide back up with his odd fighting style with Giles shooting the creature at every chance he had. While this went on, Shan Yu and Quixote struggled in their fight against Pride.

Due to the mass of shadows being hurled at them, both agents were struggling to land a blow on the tiny, arrogant, smirking Homunculus. Unlike the others, they were not accustomed to handling firearms in their line of work and did not see a reason to carry any despite Nicholas' warnings. If they survived this fight, they would relent and arm themselves for next time; even if it would cost them an "I told you so" from the alchemist.

"Mi amigo," Quixote said behind the cover of a tree, "I hate to admit it, but we may be a bit out of our element here. Any thoughts?"

"Believe it or not, but I actually came prepared." Shan Yu grinned wickedly as he reveled a few cherry bombs in his hand.

"Cherry bombs?" Quixote scoffed in annoyance as a shadow just barely took off his head, "How will those help?!"

"Observe, but don't look." the burly man replied before pulling the pins and tossing them directly at Pride. In a quick instant, the bombs went off, but instead of causing small explosions, they created blasts of blinding, light destroying the shadows and blinding their enemy. "Go!"

As the boy squinted and tried to collect his bearings, the elder men used their weapons to stab, pierce, sever and impale him. It was no more than fifteen seconds before they noticed the shadows returning and forming beneath Pride's feet.

"Time's up, get back!" Quixote shouted as they once again took cover before being killed.

"You filthy humans!" Pride shouted as he healed and readied his shadows, "I'll make you pay for that!"

"You going to talk, chico, or you going to fight like a big boy?" Quixote taunted despite praying for the boy to just keep talking.

"Gah!" he cried as he used his shadows to cut down all the nearby trees in a massive, black buzz saw of teeth and eyes, just barely grazing the top of the gentlemen's heads.

"I think I may have pushed the wrong button, no?" Quixote asked as they peered over the tree stumps nervously at the red faced boy.

"Yeah, he's mad." Shan Yu nodded, "I've only got five more flash bombs left. We can either use them to escape like cowards, or we can use them to blind the son of a bitch and inflict some pain."

"I'm rather opposed to the coward's path." the Hispanic curtly replied, "Fight like true LXG men it is."

"Hear-hear." Shan Yu nodded before they both jumped over their stumps and engaged Pride.

Unlike Nicholas, Pride was rather small and despite his superhuman strength, he was not as skilled a fighter as the older men he was fighting and he relied too much on his shadows. With another use of one of his flash bombs, Shan Yu dispelled the shadows again which allowed Quixote to draw his sword and slash away while Shan Yu grabbed his friend's spear and impaled him in the neck. However, no more than two seconds did Pride's shadows erupt from beneath his feet and tear through the men's exposed flesh, causing them both to stagger back while the boy healed.

"Shit." Shan Yu cursed under his breath.

"Oh, losing your confidence already?" Pride taunted as he licked their blood off the blade-like shades.

Back in town, Nicholas was showing no mercy to the cocky embodiment of his former friend's avarice. But unlike with Lust, Nicholas did not solely rely on his shield for this battle; no mercy meant no boundaries. As said several times before, Nicholas hated the Homunculi, so he saw no reason to hold back against a creature whom he hated and could regenerate like him. Unfortunately, the Ultimate Shield was made of, arguably, the strongest carbon fiber there is and the best way to deal with such a metal would be to deconstruct it with alchemy. However, Nicholas was so absorbed in his hatred-fueled frenzy, he didn't consider this and basically hacked away at Greed who was easily fending off his attacks, all the while smirking.

"Is that really the best you can do?" he asked as he grabbed Nicholas' ankle in mid-kick before slamming him over his shoulder into the ground, "Because I am _not_ impressed."

"Shut up." the alchemist grunted before using his alchemy to send a small pillar into Greed's chest. However, just before it could knock him back, the Homunculus grabbed it in his hands and crushed it in his mighty grip.

"Hey!" a familiar voice shouted off to the side. Turning their heads, the two enemies saw Emma glaring at the artificial human as her hand shined with magic. "Get the hell away from my boyfriend."

"Well, shit." Greed bluntly cursed, shaking his head with a faint smirk, "It was one thing to take on the alchemist. But now, with a sacrifice who can't heal like us? No dice. Ciao."

Before he took off, Greed made sure Nicholas had a reason to fall behind by slashing his eyes with his razor sharp claws. Emma tried to stop him with her magic, but it only bounced off his shielded body. So with the pursuit seeming pointless, the Savior rushed over to help her lover to his feet as his eyes healed.

"Nicholas?" she asked in concern as he hissed in pain, "Babe, are you alright?"

"Where is he?!" Nicholas spat as he swung his arms around to feel for anything in front of him.

"He-he took off. Just wait a minute, you need to heal." she stuttered.

"Dammit!" Nicholas shouted as he finished healing, "This is exactly why I told you to leave. He's not allowed to hurt you, so he ran off. Which way did he go?"

"Nicholas…" Emma said in shock at his behavior. She felt as though she was speaking to a completely different person.

"Bah!" he waved off seeing that she wasn't being any help. So instead, he had to rely on his keen sense of smell and attempt to track Greed through the smell of fire, smoke and blood.

"Well, Pops," Greed said aloud as he ran through the nearest alley, "Here's hoping Wrath's delivered the package by now, because I am done."

"You have done well, my son." Father praised in his monotone voice, "And, yes, Wrath has indeed returned with what we need. You may return once you have shaken Flamel off your tail."

"You know what?" he asked stopping in front of Marco's garage as an idea popped into his head, "I think I just figured out how."

Following the scent, Nicholas ran as fast as he could through the alley and over the trash bins and boxes in order to catch up with Greed. But the moment he reached Marco's garage, the scent of gas filled his nostrils. When he turned around, his eyes widened when he saw Greed covered in his shield holding a welding igniter in one hand, and a tube releasing gas in the other; and as an added bonus, he was surrounded by sharp and dangerous power tools.

"Oh, shit!" Nicholas cried trying to turn back, but Greed was faster and managed to ignite the fumes causing a mass explosion in the garage. As the explosion went off, Emma, who had gone after her lover, dropped to the ground to take cover before hustling it over to the source. At the same time, Mina, who had been recovering in the shade, used her vampire senses to see what happened and if anyone was injured. Sure enough, when she saw Nicholas, she, too ran over as fast as she could.

When Emma arrived, the whole shop was up in flames and her true love was on the ground gasping in pain. He was severely burnt and had bits of hot shrapnel from the tools piercing most of his body. But the biggest reason he was in pain was because of the miter saw blade logged in the left half of his face.

"Oh, God." she gasped as she fumbled and struggled to act accordingly.

"What the hell happened?!" Mina barked as she slid to Nicholas' side.

"He-he went after a Homunculus." Emma replied.

"And you let him go alone?! You idiot!" the vampire shouted as she quickly removed the smaller bits of tools that were sticking out, "Don't just stand there, help me get this all out!"

"O-okay." she nodded. Still thrown off by what happened, Emma tried to use her magic to pull out the saw blade but immediately stopped once Nicholas cried out in pain.

"Not with magic, you fool! That will just make the stone's healing process focus on repairing the magically caused wounds. Oh, let me do it." Mina snapped as she swung her leg over her teammate's body and straddled him while grabbing the blade, "Damn, it's in deeper than I thought. Okay, Nicholas, I'm gonna have to do this the old fashioned way. You ready?"

"Get it out!" he slurred through his pain.

"Right. One, two, three!" she cried yanking the blade out while her friend tried to hold back yelling out in pain. Not that anyone would have blamed him, but he wasn't proud of himself as he clutched his face while rolling back and forth on the ground; but he was even more disappointed that he let Greed get away. In the depths of Storybrooke, the Dwarf in the Flask spoke to his children once more.

"Hear my voice, my children." he said to them, "We have all that we need. Return home, at once. Leave the humans, do not waste time or energy fighting them any longer."

"Yes, Father." they all replied, some more reluctantly than the others.

"Well, boys, as much fun as this has been, I'm afraid we have to go." Lust informed.

"Oh, no, no, no. The party's just begun." Sawyer disagreed before shooting them. Skinner was able to hold off Gluttony's slobbering mouth from eating him while landing a few good blows.

"You're making me mad. All I want to do is eat. But you won't let me eat you, and I'm getting hungrier. You're being mean! So, I'll just have to swallow everything!" Gluttony roared as his broken bones healed and his body began to surge with even more red lightning. As it did, his mouth opened wide and began to drop lower than the two agents had ever seen. From that point, his stomach opened to reveal a black void and a gray eye with a black slit for a pupil in the center, although, for some reason, it was in a vertical position. To make the sudden transformation even more terrifying, sharp, long rows of spear-like gangs sprouted from Gluttony's jaw and along the borders of the void and began to wiggle as though they were ready to grab whatever was near.

"I think I know what that disgusting ability Nicholas always warned us about is, now." Skinner nervously observed.

"Skinner, I think I'm gonna puke." Sawyer gagged as he covered his mouth.

"I'll swallow you all!" Gluttony bellowed before using his true power. Before either agent was caught in it, Gluttony sent a clear blast of alchemic power in their direction. They were able to dodge it, but they looked in fear at what the attack had done to area it hit. In the perfect shape of a tube, spanning roughly fifteen-twenty feet in front of the Homunculus, the ground and trees had lost significant portions of their masses.

"Sweet Jesus!" Sawyer thought as he rolled over and continued to fire with his riffle and Skinner with one of his pistols.

"Gluttony, come on!" Envy ordered as he and Lust retreated.

"But-"

"Now, Gluttony!" Lust snapped before she was shot in the head courtesy of Skinner. But before she or her brothers could escape, each of them lost several limbs in a blur. Taking a knee before his comrades, and looking like a total badass as he did, Nemo arrived with his sword unsheathed, coated in blood that began to disintegrate.

"Nemo, you glorious bastard!" Sawyer cheered, "I don't know whether to kiss you or smack you upside the head like boss for getting here so late."

"You can do either or to Skinner instead, _after_ we kill these things." the captain replied before they chased after the retreating Homunculi. While the siblings ran, Lust used her spears to cut down several trees to provide cover for them while the three agents had to either climb over, under or around the fallen trunks. Unfortunately, she made so many collapse that they were able to get away while their enemies hit the trees in frustration.

"Ha!" Envy cackled, "We lost 'em."

"I didn't get my snack." Gluttony complained.

"Stop your whining, Gluttony. It's very unattractive." Lust chastised as they came to a stop, "We need to separate. Gluttony and I will take the two nearest tunnels and destroy them; Pride will have done the same to the one he's closest to once he's escaped. You'll have to go into town, Envy."

"What? Why me?" he asked irritably.

"Because out of the three of us, you weren't killed as many times as Gluttony and I were. You have more energy to spare than we do, and we can't have Father waste any of his in giving us more before the Promised Day. Just make yourself a bird or something and sneak into town until you reach the sewers." she said like the bossy, elder sister she was.

"Ugh, fine." Envy groaned before turning into a crow and flying off to town. Over in Storybrooke, Nicholas was in the process of composing himself after having a saw blade being lodged then painfully removed from his face while Emma did the same and Mina was recovering in the shade.

"What's our situation regarding Sloth?" he finally asked the vampire.

"Before I ran over to see if you were alright, the boys were handling themselves pretty well against him. That being said, I doubt they're anywhere near to permanently killing him." Mina replied, "Can you track the one you were fighting?"

"No." Nicholas gruffly answered, "I've lost it in all this fire and smoke. He's long gone. What about the others? Can you see what they're doing?"

"See?" Emma asked in confusion.

"As a vampire, Mina can extend the reach of her senses through animals such as bats or forest animals. From there, she can tune her senses to theirs and broaden her echo-location." he explained.

"I can also see and hear their hearts beating and the pace of their blood flow." Mina added only slightly glaring at the blonde now, "But you're not going to like what I saw, Nicholas."

"What was it?" he asked as her eyes widened and turned red.

"Shan Yu and Quixote are currently chasing after a small Homunculus in the woods. My guess is that it's Pride. Mr. Q, Jekyll and Bluebeard are still dealing with Sloth and earlier, Skinner, Sawyer and Nemo were fighting three Homunculi at once just a little past the mansion's grounds."

"Why wouldn't I like that?"

"Because, in addition to those five Homunculi, and the one you were facing, I sensed a seventh moving through town in a car making a total of seven."

"So? There are only seven left." Nicholas reminded, "The Dwarf in the Flask and what's left of his children."

"No." Mina said shaking her head, "No, I can still feel his presence through the ground, and that includes those other presences I just mentioned."

"Please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying." Emma begged.

"That remains to be seen." Mina shrugged, "Unless the enemy is somehow capable of recreating his children, there is only one other explanation."

"That bitch was brought back from the Underworld." Nicholas snarled.

"How?!" Emma exclaimed in shock, "You said you tossed her into the pit. How can Lust be here?!"

"Either she was able to latch onto the ledge with her spears before the flames consumed her, or that pit just managed to burn off a couple of souls before they completely took her. It doesn't matter. She's here now and we have one more Homunculus to deal with in addition to the Amerstrians."

"Speaking of which," Mina added as she sensed another familiar presence, "There's another one of those bastards nearby. You up for some killing?"

After she said this, Nicholas looked at his charred arm and forced it to finish healing before coating it in his shield as he flexed his claws. With malice in his voice and a look that could kill, he said to the vampire, "Hell yes."

"What?" Emma asked not believing her ears. Just a minute ago, her boyfriend was lying on the ground covered in burns and shrapnel and now he was acting as though it never happened and was leaping to his feet ready to go try and kill another, partially, immortal monster.

"Mina, take Emma back to the mansion, that area should be safe by now. Put her with my sister and Gold." he ordered.

"You can't be serious." Emma denied gaining his attention, "After what just happened, you're willing to go after another one of those things?"

"Would you prefer it if I left that thing run around town so it can cause us more trouble and possibly turn the tide in the enemy's favor on the Promised Day?" he asked almost hotly.

"But-"

"No buts, Emma." he cut off, "You're going back to the mansion, now. Mina, get her out of here."

"No." she refused.

"What?" Nicholas snapped.

"As much as I hate to agree with her, your lover has a point." Mina admitted in distaste, "You are letting your hatred for these creatures cloud your judgment and you've allowed yourself to become sloppy. I'm staying here to make sure someone will around to pull your head out of your ass."

"No," Nicholas growled as he crushed a transport rock in his pocket, "You are not."

Before either woman could stop him, the angry alchemist threw the black dust at their feet and watched as they were transported back to the mansion before he took off after the monster he despised. When the dust cleared from their eyes, both women realized what Nicholas had done and were utterly slack-jawed.

"I can't believe he just did that." Emma said flatly.

"Who did what?" Zelena asked as she and Gold came over to them, "Why are you two here?"

"Your soon-to-be severely beaten little brother sent us here before going after one of the Homunculi." Mina said through her gritting teeth.

"Severely beaten?" Gold snorted, "Can I watch?"

"We need to get back out there." Emma stressed to Mina, "He's not thinking straight. Who knows what he'll do?"

"Agreed, but I'll be the one to go back and help him." Mina replied while searching for a transport rock in her clothes, "You three need to stay here where the enemy can't reach you. Dammit! I used my last one."

"Seems like your precious alchemist doesn't want you involved, Ms. Swan." Gold taunted flashing his gold tooth, "I daresay, he might not want you around."

"You keep your mouth shut, Dark One." Mina snapped as she pulled out her shell and spoke into it, "This is Agent Harker, I need someone who's available to come by the mansion and let me out of the debriefing room and someone else to find Nicholas. He's going after a Homunculus and he may go out of control. All three sacrifices are with me, but I need to get out."

"Hang tight, Mina, I'll let you out." Sawyer replied, "Who's gonna get Nicholas?"

"Jekyll, Bluebeard and I can't, we're still dealing with Sloth." Quartermain responded.

"Skinner and I are trying to track the ones who attacked us." Nemo answered, "And I believe Shan Yu and Quixote are still fighting Pride."

"Well, then hurry up and let me out Sawyer!" the vampire snapped impatiently. About a minute later, the shielded door leading upstairs opened for her and shut just before the others could make it through.

Back in town, Envy, who had shed his bird disguise, was running through the streets as he tried to find the nearest known way to his father's lair. However, just as his eyes locked on target, he watched helplessly as it was suddenly reduced to rubble.

"Leaving so soon?" Nicholas asked darkly from behind before slitting Envy's throat with his claws. As he healed, the Homunculus staggered forward before turning around with a bloodthirsty smile on his face.

"It's been quite a while since I've seen your face." Envy cackled, "I think the last time was when you killed that little human. Oops, I hope that wasn't insensitive of me."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." Nicholas replied unamused as his shield covered his arms.

Eager for a fight, Envy charged at him and threw a powerful punch which was caught in Nicholas' palm. From there, Envy was pulled in, struck in the stomach by the alchemist's elbow and then hit in the face by the back of his fist; as an added bonus, Nicholas had used his alchemy to deconstruct a portion of Envy's face when he was struck. In retaliation, Envy transformed his right leg into a sharp blade and swung it upwards, nearly slicing Nicholas in two had he not dodged it. After he backed away, Nicholas charged back at him coming in low before delivering an uppercut to his jaw and then another punch to his nose, shattering it on impact.

"You human bastard." Envy panted as his nose healed.

"If you think this is the point where I'm just gonna stop and have a conversation with you in the middle of a fight, you are sorely mistaken!" Nicholas snarled as he ran up and punch Envy in the face again. However, this time, the Homunculus didn't budge an inch after being hit. Instead, he had a somewhat content smile on his face before it became a menacing scowl while his body became engulfed in red, alchemic sparks.

"In that case, allow me to show you something neat before I take you down." Envy informed as he began to change.

"Oh, so that's how you wanna play this game, is it? Fine by me." Nicholas coldly said as he, too, began to take on a similar form.

As they both transformed, Mina, Quartermain and Rumplestiltskin were able to sense the massive surge in energy from each of their locations. Dreading what his subordinate was going to do, Quartermain took out his shell and contacted Mina directly.

"Harker, can you feel that?" he asked.

"Yes, I can feel it." she replied just as worried, "It seems like they're both going all out for this one. I'm still waiting on Sawyer. What do we do?"

"…Nothing." the old hunter replied.

"What?!" she shrieked, "If those two have taken on the forms I sensed they took, the entire town may be reduced to debris and corpses by sundown!"

"No, it won't." he calmly replied, "Amidst all the fighting, Nemo's men have safely managed to evacuate the civilians in that area to Flamel's laboratories like we planned. Also, Sloth was able to give himself enough to escape back underground and through the tunnel he created allowing Bluebeard, Jekyll and myself the chance to keep an eye on them. They'll lose some buildings, but the townsfolk will survive. You are to stay there unless I tell you otherwise. Understood?"

"You can't be serious!" Mina exclaimed, "I'm one of the strongest on the team, yet you'd have me stay here and babysit the bloody sacrifices?! That it is utter bullshit, Quarterm-"

"Am I understood, Agent Harker?!" he interrupted angrily.

"…Yes, Agent Quartermain." Mina replied gritting her fangs as they poked through her lips. After her superior ended the transmission, Mina's body racked with anger as veins rose on her temples and clenched fists. In a brief fit of anger, she smashed the nearest coffee table into splinters with a single punch as the others watched.

"Do you really think Nicholas would go as far as to take on _that_ form in the middle of town?" Jekyll asked as he and the other two agents hurried over to Nicholas' location.

"You think he wouldn't against one of those things?" Quartermain retorted.

"What form? What are you talking about?" Giles asked before the air filled with two monstrous roars and the ground shook from heavy impacts.

"See for yourself." Quartermain sighed as they finally saw the latest fight. What seemed utterly bizarre to the average person, the three agents looked at two large monsters identical in all but skin color fighting in the middle of town. It was the same body Nicholas had taken on when the Chernabog had been set lose upon the town that he and Envy had taken on for this fight. In order for his allies to tell which monster was who, Nicholas changed his skin tone from green like Envy's to the dark gray his shield had in addition to a red snake marking going down the right side of his face and snout.

Two giant, lizard-like monsters with six arms fighting like rabid dogs. Witnessing a sight like that would have made anyone think that they were suddenly in the middle of a monster movie. Nicholas had yet to show any mercy in his previous fights with Lust and Greed, so there was little chance that he was going to show any to Envy, even if his size was going to cause more than necessary destruction to the town.

Envy quickly realized that his fighting skills were better suited for his humanoid form rather than the one he had taken on. Quite frankly, he hadn't anticipated his father's lookalike to transform into the same thing, let alone be better in using it than him. His attacks were faster, harder and much more precise. Each punch he threw with his first set of arms was aimed at his jaw while his second set grabbed ahold of the crying heads of the souls that powered his Philosopher's Stone. Envy would have done the same, but he couldn't think straight from all the pain consuming his mind as the alchemist tore out his throat with his mighty jaw.

Having enough of this onslaught, Envy used four of his arms to shove off his foe so he could pay him back for the pain he inflicted, punching him, tearing away his flesh with his teeth/claws and even throwing him into buildings.

"Stupid human." he thought angrily as they fought, "Why doesn't he just stay down?"

As Envy asked himself this question, Nicholas grabbed two of his enemy's legs and tore off a third with his mouth. Following that attack, with great strength, Nicholas picked up Envy and threw him down the street and charged after him once he landed.

"Dear God." Giles exhaled as he and the others watched from a rooftop, "It's not even the Promised Day yet, and Hell has already brought down upon this town."

"You think this is Hell?" Jekyll asked, "I know you and those other two haven't been given all the details regarding the Promised Day like the rest of us, but what the Homunculi have done today is _not_ , Giles. Not by a long shot."

Quartermain simply stood in silence with his arms crossed and his brow furrowed as he watched his subordinate clash with the beast. He didn't take his eyes off them, but he realized that the sun had begun to set on the town as the sky gradually turned orange. In just several hours, there would only be one more day before the Promised Day, and they were no closer to eliminating the enemy's forces than when Nicholas had warned them almost fifty years ago.

"Jekyll," he addressed gruffly, "Go find Quixote and Yu. Take them back to the manor. Bluebeard, contact Skinner, Sawyer and Nemo once you get there and tell them I said to head back, as well."

"But what about the Homunculi?" Giles asked.

"Whatever they had in mind for today, they've accomplished it, that much is obvious." Quartermain admitted in irritation, "The fact that Sloth ran off as well as all the others we've been fighting today proves that we needed to be distracted from something else they were planning. And I think I may know what that was."

"The fifth sacrifice." Jekyll deduced.

"Yes, I believe so." Quartermain nodded, "Whoever they are, they've been brought to Storybrooke under our very noses, and I'll bet that ugly bastard was probably on his way home after he found that out."

While they were talking, they watched as Envy tore off Nicholas' tail only to be replaced with not a new tail end, but a seventh fist with a much longer reach hurdled through the air and into his jaw, breaking it on impact. Realizing that it was better to have another useful appendage, Nicholas transmuted the fist into a large, spiked mace before sending it right back at Envy, puncturing his eye and slamming him into another building. In the eyes of the onlookers, Envy was nothing more than a giant, green monster, but to Nicholas, all her could see was the smiling speck in a flask he once called friend.

"Dwarf in the Flask," he thought in his anger as he thought back to the time they spent together in Xerxes, "Always so cynical, like everything around you was beneath you. Anything regarding humans was nothing more than lowly in your eye. But every now and then, I could see through that poker face of yours, especially when you were teaching me behind the others' backs. It didn't matter what it was, but you were willing to teach me anything that came to your mind when you could. That part of you, the envy you must have felt when I was able to demonstrate your knowledge in ways you couldn't to the humans made it clear that you were a liar. Knowledge is everything to you, but what kind of knowledge are you seeking?"

Flashes of the bodies around him in the desert came to mind, as well as the horrendous deeds his children had done for him. The numerous bodies that surrounded him and the rubble that was once his beloved town, all of these things fueled the raging fire inside him.

"What could possibly be worth all this death and destruction?!" he cried in his mind before throwing yet another punch to the Homunculus' jaw who returned one in full. He tried throwing another punch, but Envy missed which caused his body to turn too far and let Nicholas grab him from behind and perform a suplex, breaking the monster's spine.

This was more than enough to make Envy angry, so to get even, he broke free of the hold and quickly both of his enemy's jaws and began to pull them apart. Even with the resistance Nicholas was making, it still didn't stop the beast from tearing off his lower jaw and tearing out what vital spots he could reduce to bloody shreds. When he eventually realized that the alchemist wasn't fighting back, he decided enough was enough and it was time to return home before his stone burned out, so he trudged over to where he knew the entrance used to be while he slowly healed.

"He couldn't do it." Giles said hopelessly dropping to his knees, "With all his strength and knowledge over the enemy, Nicholas couldn't kill it. We are doomed."

But the two agents who knew the alchemist better than Giles ever could just stared down at him as his enormous healed. Unlike Bluebeard, they knew this fight wasn't over just yet. Not as long he was still alive, they knew the Immortal Alchemist would not fall today. While he healed, Nicholas suddenly remembered the words Quartermain said to him so very long ago when he first joined his team.

"To rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity. What we fight, we become. Fight fire with fire. Look at the ones you are fighting. Will you stop them, or will you let them continue to hurt those you have sworn to protect. What are you going to do, Flamel?"

Although he had already answered that question long ago, Nicholas answered again as his strength and resolve reignited anew. "I…will kill them." he growled as he watched Envy walk away. Images of Lust, Greed and their father filled his head as well as he stood back up with his eyes glowing and his mouth releasing the hot air of his breath. "Every last one!"

"I have to get back to Father." Envy thought weakly. But before he could change back, he heard the sound of loud footsteps behind him just as Nicholas tackled him and pinned him to the ground. With quick work of his alchemy, he was able to make seven large spike rise from the ground, six for his arms and one for his torso to keep him still. Afterwards, Nicholas quickly turned back to his human form and landed on Envy's head as his palm surged with red, blue and white alchemic spark before he slammed it on his forehead.

"You've got some nerve calling me stupid, you idiot." he laughed knowing victory was his, "You overlooked that I spent the first few years figuring out how to kill myself after receiving my stone. So, naturally, after all that, it was bound to happen that while your father learned how to create Philosopher's Stones, I would be the one to learn how to destroy them!"

In a blast of bright light, Envy cried out in utter agony as Nicholas' alchemy engulfed his entire body. While he screamed, pillars of red, alchemic lighting erupted from his body as it literally began to fall apart and disintegrate as the others joined with Nicholas. In a matter of seconds, the humanoid body that was on Envy's head extended to a long reach as it repeatedly spat out body after body before spitting out Envy who voiced his refusal of what just happened.

"So much! So much pain! No! This can't-this can't happen. This can't be happening to me! I could never be defeated by pathetic creatures like you, you filthy League's men. No, quit looking at me. How dare you look at me?! Don't look down on me, you worms!" he cried before what looked like a strange, green leach with two large eyes and a mouth going down its body shot out of his forehead.

"Don't look down on me, worms." it weakly said in a high-pitched voice.

"I'm sorry," Giles asked, "But who exactly is that thing calling worms?"

"This thing?" Quartermain asked skeptically as he picked Envy up by the tail, "This thing caused so much destruction and managed to beat you to a bloody pulp, Flamel?"

"Envy the Jealous." Nicholas panted nodding his head taking the Homunculus in his own hand, "This would have been a great thing to show my sister before she went green. Jealously really is an ugly thing."

With no more words to say, Nicholas took a deep breath and reached into Envy's mouth where he found and pulled out what he was looking for, Envy's Philosopher's Stone. Making it quick, he used his alchemy to finally destroy the glowing stone and let watch as both it and Envy became dust in the wind.

"One down," Quartermain spoke up.

"Seven more to go; again." Nicholas nodded, dusting off his hands. Down below in Storybrooke, the remaining Homunculi were gathered around their father as he sat on his throne in a deathly silence. Gluttony had been sniffling ever since he learned that his brother had been killed whereas the rest of them seemed unmoved by this "tragedy."

"Envy." the fat Homunculus whimpered.

"Do not shed tears for your brother, my son." Father said with no emotion in his voice, "For we have a reason to be joyous today. For your brother Wrath has succeeded in his task of obtaining the final sacrifice. Tell me, son, were there any complications?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, Father." Wrath replied as he thought back to what happened the previous night.

 **OUaT**

As he drove through the busy streets of New York, Wrath kept both eyes open for any and all traces of his target. Despite none of the humans noticing, he spotted the large cloud of dust flying through the air and followed it to China Town.

In the back of his humble, little shop, the Dragon was peacefully checking his stock as a sudden change in the wind blew into the room he was in with the cloud forming into a person before his very eyes. When it was finished, he looked at the new arrival with a calm exterior.

"Evil Queen." he addressed with his hands behind his back.

"Regina should have never let me out to play." she spat with hatred in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Dragon asked.

"I came to set the record straight." she replied slowly approaching him, "You were right about one thing, Dragon. There was a battle ragging inside Regina and she may have won the fight, but this is a _war_. And it's just begun."

Before she could make her move, the Evil Queen was knocked out by a blow to the back of the head, courtesy of the pommel of Wrath's sword. Still unfazed by the ordeal, the Dragon continued his calm disposition as he stared down the Homunculus invader.

"Do not expect a thank you from me, Wrath the Furious. Or do you prefer Fuher King Bradley of Amestris?" he asked.

"Oh, you can call me whatever you like, co-founder of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and original seventh seat, Dragon." Wrath replied as he readied his sword and revealed his Ultimate Eye, "Not that you shall live long enough to make up your mind."

"For the embodiment of Wrath, you certainly have to confident persona of pride." Dragon countered, unfazed that his enemy knew his identity as he took a martial arts fighting stance, "Come. Show me your fury and meet your destiny."

Taking the old Gentlemen up on his offer, Wrath charged at him at an unbelievable speed. But what was even more impressive was that Dragon was able to easily dodge the attack and land a powerful blow that knocked the wind out of the Homunculus just before alternating into a powerful roundhouse which was quickly blocked. After he blocked the kick, Wrath spotted a nearby bottle of poppy dust on one of the shelves and grabbed it in his fist. However, instead of throwing the dust in his foe's face, he smashed the bottle in his fist as they both struck the Dragon in the face. It wasn't enough to render one as powerful as him unconscious, but it did leave him dazed giving Wrath the chance to backhand him into the wall, knocking him out on impact. Just as he was about to finish off the old man, he heard the Evil Queen groan behind him as she began to regain consciousness.

"We'll finish this after the Promised Day." Wrath promised as he sheathed his sword. After picking up the dark half of Regina and putting her in the trunk of his car, the Homunculus made his way back to Storybrooke.

 **OUaT**

"It sounds like your trip was indeed memorable." Father smirked, resting his head on his fist while looking up towards the ceiling at the unconscious Evil Queen who was chained to a stone spike held in the air by chains, "All the pieces are now in place."

Back inside the mansion, each agent was ready to give their reports on what transpired throughout the day. Shan Yu and Quixote survived their fight against Pride with a few cuts here and there, but they had still managed to render the littlest Homunculus severely wounded before he escaped. After everyone gave their reports, Nicholas spotted Emma on the balcony above the table looking conflicted. Because of this, he decided to join her, but he had no idea what to say; he had shown more of his darker side than he had planned earlier and was starting to regret it. So, finally, he confessed to her.

"I never wanted to drag you into this." he said solemnly, "I had always feared that you being the Savior and all, you would have eventually, in some way, become one of the sacrifices, like me. I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing because they can't hurt you, or because they'll keep you alive to witness the Hell they plan for us all."

"That was the real you today, wasn't it?" she finally asked, "I must have been kidding myself when I used to think you were the black sheep in your family and was against violence and destruction."

"When in the hell did you think that?" he asked, nearly scoffing.

"Back when you, me and my mom were in the Enchanted Forest fighting your mom and Hook." she replied with a nostalgic grin, "God, how things have changed since then."

"You're telling me." he chuckled softly, "Things seemed much easier back then."

"Too bad it'll never be like that again." Emma said sadly.

"I've been dreading this week for fifty years, and it's worse than I could ever have imagined. And yet, we haven't even gotten to the main event."

"I have to know." she said softly as she looked him in the eyes, "You told me that you would answer anything I ask, right? So tell me, why? Why did you join up with these people?"

"…You'd probably like it better if I said it was all just for stopping the Promised Day." Nicholas sighed, "But in truth, I didn't discover this until about five years after I joined. You know that I had anything but an easy past, but you don't know what I went through after I came home."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked in concern.

"Do you have idea what it's like to be constantly pitted by everyone around you?" he asked, "The minute my mother announced my return, everyone around me looked towards me with pity in their eyes. They all felt sorry for me because of what happened and failed to treat me like a regular person. I felt like I was still in Xerxes, people looking at me with those eyes. Those pitying eyes. It made my blood boil, and it broke my heart to see my parents and sister look at me the same way. After what happened with Nina and the other alchemists, I met a man who, while did look at me with pity, also looked at me with hope in his eyes. I could see that he was willing to help me, rather than just offer his sympathies. So I accepted his hand and he pulled me into a world filled with people just like me. Everyone down there, all who are a part of this League has had tragedy in their lives, but they don't let that stop them and they don't insult others by pitying them. I joined the League because I felt like I belonged with the people around me, the people who treated me as their equal despite knowing what had happened to me; those people down there especially. When I told them, they were there in ways neither Regina or our parents could, and they taught me how to take that pain and use it to make me stronger."

"Oh, Nicholas." Emma whispered.

"I know you would rather have it if I left the League after this is all over with, Emma. But that's not gonna happen. This isn't just a job, it's a way of life. One that I have dedicated mine to." Nicholas sighed, "I don't expect you to understand, but-"

"I do." she gently interrupted, "I do understand, Nicholas. It's just…"

"What?" he asked as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"I just…I can't stand seeing you in that kind of pain." she confessed as the tears flowed, "Seeing you like that, covered in burns and pieces of metal. I know you're immortal and all, but…but I hate seeing you like that! It's too much like at the lake."

Seeing his girlfriend cry was a bit shocking to Nicholas, but, nevertheless, he gently held her in his arms as he tried to soothe her. "Why does it always have to be you?" she asked with her head in his chest, "Why do you always have to be the one who faces so much pain?"

"…So that others won't have to." he whispered before kissing the top of her head.

Down below, Quartermain gave a heavy sigh after hearing his subordinate's conversation. Given how stressful things had been lately, he decided to ease his nerves with a glass of whiskey, but before he could take the first sip, Regina came barging in looking for him.

"We need to talk." she said leaving no room for discussion.

"So close." he muttered before setting his glass back down, "And just how may I help you, Your Majesty?"

"First of all, I'm not a queen anymore, so you can drop the 'Your Majesty' stuff." Regina replied irritably, "Second of all, I want to know just what the hell my brother was doing out there fighting as a giant monster today."

"He was doing his job, nothing more." Quartermain replied reaching for his drink and taking a large gulp, "Quite frankly, I, for one, have grown tired of you people badgering him for that. If not for your brother, there would still be another Homunculus running around town. Not to mention all the things he has done for the other realms over the years in his service to the League. If you had any idea the struggles he's had and the personal sacrifices he has made, perhaps you would show him more respect and be a bit grateful to him."

"Then, please, by all means," Regina huffed as she sat down across from the senior field agent, "Educate me. Tell me why my brother decided to work for a man like you."

"Well, for starters," Quartermain began, "He didn't. I chose him as the fourth seat of this branch, just as I personally selected the other five, as well. I saw something special in your brother all those years ago, and I still see it to this day. Would you like to hear about it?"

"What do you think?" she rudely asked.

"Very well." he nodded before beginning his tale.

 **If anyone has any questions, feel free to either leave a review or a PM. If you haven't already, like/follow this story and/or me if you enjoy this and want to stay in the loop. Until next time!**


	74. Where it all Starts

**You all can relax, I'm not dead and I'm not dropping this fic. With that out of the way, sorry that this took so long, school was keeping me busy along with ROTC and getting confirmed for my faith. It was nuts! Anyway, just to let you all know, I am leaving for camp in about a week so I won't be able to work on this for about a month. So it will be another period of time before I get the next chapter up; though I doubt it will take me another six months like this did. Anyway, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything from OUaT, LXG, or FMAB. All I do own are my OCs and the LXG plot I have developed.**

Many years ago, a slightly younger Allan Quartermain was walking through the halls of the LXG's headquarters. He didn't look much different than his elder self aside from different clothes and his hair having a salt and pepper color with more salt than pepper. He still wore his old duster and had his trademark riffle strapped to his back, but at least he seemed less bitter towards everything than he eventually would. Then again, he still had his angry sigh even back then.

"Another mission, another worthless bastard dead." he muttered to himself making it clear that he had just returned from work. As he continued to walk, he ventured into an unbelievably sized facility. It was deep underground, larger than the entire town of Storybrooke, and was filled with weapons, ammunition and League agents honing their skills in certain areas. Quartermain could see all of this as he stood on a steel hanging bridge close to the ceiling. While he took the time to gaze at his fellow Gentlemen, a nearby voice alerted him.

"Allan? Allan Quartermain?" someone asked. Turning to the source, Quartermain saw Nemo looking at him as though they hadn't seen each other in years.

Instead of his blue coat and matching turban, Nemo had a darker sense of style in the past. He still had his sword strapped to his side and wore white pants and black boots. However, rather than a blue coat, he wore a black one with a white outline on the cuffs of his sleeves and a black turban held together by the shell from his wife. It also had three strings of pearls wrapped in an angle and was topped by a peacock feather; also, his beard was much shorter and matched the length of Quartermain's.

"Nemo?" Quartermain asked looking bored, "Fancy seeing you here. It's been too long."

"Indeed, it has." Nemo nodded as he joined his old friend, "You've been so busy as of late, I haven't been able to chat with you."

"The same can be said of you." he retorted, "No one hardly ever sees you on dry land. How's your wife been? Any children yet?"

"Allan, Ursula and I have had children for the past eight years." Nemo informed as though he was reminding him.

"Really?" he asked, "It's been that long?"

"It's been even longer since we last talked." Nemo clarified.

"I don't socialize." Quartermain replied with a shrug.

"Clearly." the captain chuckled, "But why are you here? Unless you've suddenly changed your habits since I last saw you, you never venture too far from the admissions offices."

"I was told to meet with the director in person today after I completed my last assignment. I actually left his office just moments ago." Quartermain replied.

"You met with S? In person?" Nemo asked in surprise before narrowing his eyes, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. But S had a good reason for why he wanted to see me." he said before relaying what had happened earlier.

 **OUaT**

After walking down the halls of the League's headquarters, the immortal marksman came into the waiting room that led to the director's office. It was mostly red with a touch of gold and sand-colored marble in the walls and columns, and over the secretary's desk was a large portrait of the director and the other six members of his team/the other six highest ranking members in the organization. He then approached his leader's secretary and informed her of his arrival.

"Quartermain to see the director." he said.

"Ah, yes, Agent Quartermain." the woman kindly smiled, "Please, go on in. The director is free to speak with you."

"Thank you." Quartermain nodded before heading into the office. Sitting in a comfortable, leather chair, before a large, mahogany desk, S greeted his top agent with a welcoming smile.

"Ah, Allan!" he said happily as they shook hands, "Good to see you. Glad you could make it. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, sir. Thank you for asking." Quartermain replied with a small smile of his own, "I take it you're doing well, also?"

"Never better!" S replied as they sat down, "I've got a great job, an exciting life, and good people and friends working by my side helping me protect the realms. Now, I bet you're wondering why I've called you here, right?"

"Yes, that's correct, sir." the elder man nodded, "Have I done something wrong?"

"Wrong?" S asked, "Pft! Hell no! No, quite the opposite. You're here for good reasons, Allan, very good reasons. Care for a cigar?"

"Um, no thank you, sir." Quartermain politely declined while his superior took one and began to smoke while rising out of his chair and staring out the nearest window to view his realm and organization.

"Your loss, then. The fact of the matter is, Quartermain, you're probably the best damn agent I've got. I've yet to see you fail any mission you take on, and your skills definitely give you the right to call yourself extraordinary."

"Thank you, sir."

"The only problem is that your talents are being wasted on small stuff." S continued facing him, "You don't have nearly the level of clearance to take on the tougher missions I know could use you; the ones I know you want to take on more than those measly little ones from admissions. So, starting today, I'm rectifying that. As of now, you are officially promoted to the rank of Senior Field Agent. Congratulations, Allan, you're gonna be a branch head, now."

"Thank you, Director. I am glad that I was able to prove myself to both you and the League. Whom shall I be leading as branch leader?" he asked.

"Well," S trailed as he tapped his cigar over his ash tray, "Normally, I would assign you agents I've already selected. But, I know just how picky you can be, Quartermain. So, just this once, I'm going to allow you to select the six members of your branch, yourself. You will have three days to come up with the names of the agents you want assigned to you and which seats you want them designated as. If you cannot fill all six positions yourself by then, I shall select whoever I want to fill in the remaining seats for you. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir. I shall begin promptly." Quartermain nodded.

 **OUaT**

"You've been promoted?" Nemo asked in surprise, "That's excellent. Congratulations!"

"Hmm." he hummed, "Now, I just need to find six competent agents for my team in the next three days. I had hoped to seek out potential candidates here by observing this place."

"And?" Nemo smirked, "Do any of them impress 'the great Allan Quartermain'?"

"So far, just one." he replied giving his friend a knowing glance. It took the sailor a moment to realize what exactly his comrade was getting at, and needless to say, it surprised him.

"Me?" he asked placing his hand on his chest, "You want me to join?"

"Can you think of anyone else who's better with a sword or inventing?" Quartermain asked with a faint smirk, "Truth is, Nemo, you are actually one of the few people I trust, and you have my respect; and that is not something that is easily earned. I want you as the second seat on my team."

"I am honored, old friend." Nemo said with a kind smile, "I accept your offer. You have my word that I will do everything in my power to ensure victory in all that we do."

"Excellent." Quartermain smirked as they shook hands, "Now, all we need is five more. You spend more time here than I do. Do you know anyone who could keep up? I need strong, cunning fighters. They have to be smart and tough."

"In that case, I know of several people we could coax to join us." he replied as he took the lead.

 **OUaT**

Not long after the edge of the sun had slowly faded away on the horizon, the LXG's forces were waiting for any sign of the Homunculi's next attack. There had been no sign of any of them since Nicholas had killed Envy, and there was still no indication that the Amestrians were on their way, either. There was a heavy silence all throughout Storybrooke.

Given that the Promised Day would officially begin once the sun rose, none of the sacrifices were allowed to leave the mansion; including Nicholas. The mansion was heavily guarded by Quixote, Skinner Mina, Jekyll, and Shan Yu outside while Nemo, Sawyer and Giles guarded the sacrifices inside. Quartermain was supposed to be guarding them, as well, but he was too busy giving the team's origin story to Regina. With no other options available for them, Nicholas convinced his sister and girlfriend to a game of cards.

"So, they're really just gonna keep us locked down here until tomorrow, huh? Hit me." Zelena asked taking a card from the deck.

"Pretty much." Nicholas replied staring at his hand, "Even if the rest of the Homunculi do start up another attack later, we'll be here. Raise you five dollars."

"Why is it that we aren't allowed to fight back even though you said they aren't allowed to hurt us?" Emma asked.

"Because, those bastards play dirty and may try to force you guys into fighting for them, thus crippling our forces. Let it ride." Nicholas answered taking a pair of dice and rolling them on the table.

"So, basically what you're doing to Gold?" she asked, "Call it."

"Yeah," he nodded nonchalantly, "But we're not too broken up about that given all the shit he's put everyone through."

"But you're not really going to kill Belle and her child if he doesn't cooperate, are you?" Zelena asked sticking an ace on her forehead.

"I've got a better question," Emma interjected, "What the hell kind of card game are we playing, anyway?!"

"Uh…I thought we were playing poker." Nicholas defended when he realized they had been doing things for completely different games.

"I thought this was the one where you put cards on your head." Zelena replied.

"Anyway," Nicholas trailed, "It comes down to what the director orders us to do once he reads the report we'll send him after tomorrow."

"You have to give a report to Quartermain?" Emma asked.

"No, Emma. Quartermain's not the director. Me and Sawyer just call him 'boss' out of respect and to show that we recognize him as our leader." he reminded, "No, we have someone else in charge of the League in another realm, altogether. He's the one who oversees everything and runs the organization."

"Oh." she said, "Well, then, who's your director?"

"That's actually the one thing I am not allowed to tell you under any circumstance." he replied, "I know I said I would tell you everything, but that's the only exception. The only people who are allowed to know his identity are LXG agents. If Gold actually proves to be useful in all of this, we will vouch for Belle and their unborn child. But Rumplestiltskin is guilty of many, many crimes. The only reason he's still alive is because of these two reasons: 1. We don't know how to kill him without creating another Dark One. And 2. He's a sacrifice."

"Is that why I'm still alive, then?" Zelena asked, "Because I'm a sacrifice, too?"

"Well, yeah, and the League doesn't exactly see you as a threat."

"Come again?"

"Sis, I don't mean to be rude, but you never really did anything that caught our attention before the second curse." Nicholas informed.

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"Well, we don't really have any agents stationed in Oz, so, we weren't really aware that you had taken over. That, and you really didn't do much aside from scare munchkins and try to figure out a way to go back in time. Which, probably, would have been the only thing about you we would have taken seriously if we had heard about it."

"Well, my sense of pride just took a sucker punch to the jaw." Zelena bluntly muttered.

"Don't take it personal." Nicholas shrugged, "If we had heard about you, we would have either killed you or attempt to recruit you; or, possibly, keep you prisoner until we decided whether you were useful or not."

"You actually take prisoners?" Emma asked.

"We _rarely_ do. Why else do you think we have a prison set up in the Land of Untold Stories?" he asked bluntly, "Girls, that place is for the most dangerous and wanted criminals the League marks as targets; and more often than not, it's for those whom we are not sure how to kill. Like if we ever decided to capture Rumplestiltskin, or any Dark One for that matter, that's where they'd go."

"That reminds me," Emma recalled, "You said that Jekyll is a member of your team, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, why was he the warden over there and not here with the rest of you guys?"

"Well, because, technically, he's not the fifth seat of our branch, anymore." Nicholas replied with a heavy sigh, "The fact of the matter is that Jekyll's on a sort of probation for something that happened the last time all seven of us took on a mission. We had a very important job to do, but we weren't able to succeed. We had all made mistakes on that job, but the director thought Jekyll's was the worst of all and believed that he was the reason why we failed. So, as punishment, he was demoted, taken off the team and reassigned as the warden of that prison. And the only reason he was able to come here was because his name was never removed from the contract we signed when we were given permission to handle the Promised Day; which we only got because of me. If he wants his seat back as like the rest of us do, he'll have to give it his all and prove himself to the director."

"Sounds rough." Emma remarked.

"He's a good man, girls." he sighed feeling sorry for his friend, "He deserves better."

 **OUaT**

"So, what can you tell me about this agent?" Quartermain asked as he and Nemo headed to the research division of the building.

"He's a brilliant doctor who was driven out of his realm by a relative of his who accused him of murder. Before that, he was a well-known and highly respected chemist who sought to help people face their inner demons."

"Clearly, he wasn't that respected if he was forced out of his own realm." Quartermain remarked, "Do you think he's capable of keeping up?"

"Oh, yes." Nemo nodded, "In fact, he briefly worked with the Deputy Director before he was offered to join."

"The Deputy Director recruited him?" he asked actually surprised before looking judgmental again, "Well, regardless, he and I have different standards, therefore, I will decide whether or not he is fit to join us."

"Don't get too picky, Allan." Nemo reminded, "Remember, you have a deadline or else S will fill the remaining seats for you. And besides, I've done several missions with him in the past and can vouch for his skills. If I didn't think you would be impressed by him, I wouldn't have suggested him."

"Fine. Let's see what he can do." Quartermain sighed.

Over at a nearby lab table, covered with all sorts of lab equipment, a younger looking Henry Jekyll, in a white lab coat over his tail coat, was carefully adding the ingredients to whatever concoction he was trying to create.

"Henry!" Nemo called startling the poor scientist as he poured too much of the chemical into his beaker. It then quickly began to bubble, change color causing the doctor to panic and look for anything useful. With little other choice, he grabbed some random nearby cork, plunged it into the beaker, and tossed it as high and far as he could.

"Fire in the hole!" he shouted as everyone took cover before it exploded. Once the fumes had cleared, Jekyll finally took spoke to his visitors. "Goddammit, Nemo! You could have killed us all!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Henry." Nemo chuckled as his colleague sighed and tore off his safety goggles.

"What do you want?" Jekyll asked.

"Henry, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine, Special Agent Allan Quartermain. Allan, this is Dr. Henry Jekyll." Nemo introduced as they shook hands.

"How do you do?" Quartermain asked.

"Fine, thank you." Jekyll nodded.

"Allan here has just been recently promoted to Senior Field Agent, and he's looking for people to fill in the remaining seats for his team." he explained.

"I thought S was the one who chose who was assigned to those?" Jekyll asked removing his gloves.

"He gave me the privilege to select them, myself." Quartermain replied, "Nemo's my second-in-command and he suggested your name. I'm here to see if I think you have what it takes to join us, if you want."

"Hmm," Jekyll pondered, "My very own branch seat? That is rather tempting. Out of curiosity, which chair would I receive?"

"That depends on whether or not I find your skills acceptable; especially compared to the other agents I will be meeting with." Quartermain dryly replied, "But before I officially offer you the position, let's see what you've got. Care for a quick spar?"

"Gladly." he smirked. After leaving the research division and selecting a sparing ring at the training center, both gentlemen rolled up their sleeves and took their respective fighting positions while Nemo took his place as the referee.

"Remember, this is just a brief spar; no killing." Nemo reminded.

"No worries," Jekyll said with a confident smirk, bouncing on the balls of his feet, "I won't go too hard on the old man."

"I was talking to _him_." Nemo corrected indicating to Quartermain, "Begin!"

Throwing a quick jab, Jekyll made the first move. Quartermain, however, was able to easily swipe it away before going for the doctor's jaw. He was sure that the punch would land, but much to his, slight, surprise, Jekyll had managed to catch to the man's fist and twist his arm into a lock. The older man quickly broke from it after hitting Jekyll's nose with the back of his head, grabbing him by the belt and back of his shirt, and tossing him over his shoulder so he could slam him into the ground.

Quartermain was about to tell him to yield, but Jekyll wasn't done just yet. He grabbed Quartermain's collar, drove his knee into his stomach and rolled him over with a slam on his back before they simultaneously leapt to their feet once again. Punches continued to be thrown and blocked as the fight continued. That is until Quartermain grabbed the scientist by the collar and head-butted him with tremendous force causing the man to fall to the ground clutching his head. Taking the chance, the older man pinned him down by stepping on his chest just enough to keep him where he was.

"Yield." he ordered in a frightening tone.

"Alright." Jekyll sighed with his hands lazily up before Quartermain helped him up, "So, I take it this means that I won't be joining you gentlemen?"

"You weren't supposed to win the match." Quartermain replied as he unrolled his sleeves, "Or rather, there was no chance in hell of you actually winning. I never said you had to beat me. I said, I wanted to see if you could keep up. And you did."

"Quite frankly, I would have been surprised if you had even managed to land a single blow on him, Henry." Nemo smirked as he joined them.

"Congratulations, Agent Jekyll of Branch Quartermain." Quartermain smirked as they shook hands.

"Thank you, sir." Jekyll nodded with a smile, "Out of curiosity, what seat shall I be assigned?"

"First of all, do not call me 'sir.' It's Quartermain or Agent Quartermain; and don't think we're close enough for you to address me by my first name. But you shall know what your seat is once we've acquired the remaining four. Which reminds me. Nemo, who were those others you had in mind?"

"Well, several of which I planned to show you if Jekyll had not impressed you." the captain admitted, "However, there were two that I believe you will want. Shall we go see them?"

"Let's." he nodded.

 **OUaT**

Outside the mansion, the agents stationed out there continued to keep their eyes and ears open for any sign of the enemy. Strangely enough, there wasn't any, at least none yet. "They sure are taking their sweet time, don't cha think?" Skinner asked.

"Why aren't they here yet?" Mina asked rhetorically, "It's the eve of the Promised Day and there have been no signs of the Amestrians coming to aid the Homunculi."

"Perhaps Nicholas was misinformed?" Quixote asked, "I mean, how long ago did he mention this, eh?"

"I don't think that's the reason." Skinner offered, "Think about it. All the townsfolk are meant to be used in whatever it is they're planning, yeah? So why bring over an army that could, potentially, kill most of them in the crossfire?"

"So, what then?" Quixote asked in disappointment, "They aren't coming?"

"Or maybe, there are no Amestrians." Shan Yu remarked gruffly.

"What are you talking about?" Jekyll scoffed.

"I've never heard of Amestris. Have any of you?" he asked, "Besides Flamel, who has ever mentioned that place, or even been to it? Or has anyone seen this 'Dwarf in the Flask' he's rambled on about all these years?"

"Excuse me, Shan Yu?" Jekyll calmly asked before grabbing him by the collar with a menacing glare, "You should watch what you say, or else there will be one less Gentlemen assisting us tomorrow."

"Ah, come off it, Henry." Skinner groaned as he smacked his friend's arm away, "The man's entitled to his own thoughts. We aren't doing this because we're some band of loyalists to Nicholas. We're here to put an end to this threat and the ones behind it all; whoever that might be. Remember? As for you, Shan Yu, whether Amestris is an actual place with an army headed our way or not, we still have to deal with the Homunculi and eliminate as many as possible before tomorrow. Otherwise, if there are Amestrians coming to fight us, we will have more to juggle with as we try to stop them. So, until this ordeal is over like, shut your gob."

"Actually, all of you should shut it." Mina snapped with her eyes glowing red and a serious look on her face, "I can see one of those wankers taking a stroll two-hundred yards from here."

"Which one is it?" Skinner asked.

"Pride." she replied causing Quixote and Shan Yu to grit their teeth.

"Is that so?" Quixote growled, "And, pray tell, what is the chico doing?"

"Nothing. He's just standing there smirking. Wait. He's looking towards us. I think he can see-"

"Mina, get down!" Jekyll shouted as he pulled her to the ground as he and the others ducked out of the way of Pride's shadows. If he hadn't done so, the beautiful vampire might have lost her head.

"That little shit!" he cursed, "When I get my hands on him, I'll-"

"Jekyll, move!" Skinner cried just before ten Ultimate Spears came at them. Unfotunately, three of them managed to cut Jekyll's right bicep while the others impaled the ground before retracting back into the trees and shadows. "Mate, are you alright?"

"Son of a bitch!" he said in pain, "What was that?!"

"Here, let me. Boys, give me cover." Mina ordered as she spit into her hands before smothering the wounds with her saliva. To further explain, as a vampire, Mina has a multitude of strange abilities, as you should be aware by now. In addition to immortality, turning into a swarm of bats, controlling said creatures and using their senses to extend her own, the undead redhead's saliva is capable of closing wounds inflicted on human flesh. This is used as way to prevent human's from bleeding out after taking small doses of blood for replenishment.

"So, that's how they wanna play it, eh?" Skinner muttered to himself as more shadows came at them in addition to the spears. Thankfully, he was able to avoid them with ease while Quixote defended himself and the others with his shield. As five of the spears were about to skewer his face, with a calm expression, the Invisible Man caught them all in one hand and began to squeeze. As he did, the other five attempted to repeat the attack, only to be caught in his other grip. Not a few seconds later, Skinner crushed the Homunculus' weapons into dust with only his bare, transparent hands. Having worked with Nicholas for so long, he knew that he had a limited amount of time before Lust would resume her attacks. However, he also knew of the weakness of Pride's shadows.

"Mina!" he called, "I need you to go into the town and find the main power generator."

"What good will that do?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, it will give us a leg up on Pride, if you catch my drift." he retorted as realization dawned on her face.

"Oh!" she gasped before smirking, "Rodney, for once, you're actually a genius."

"Just hurry it up!" Skinner snapped, "Oh, and don't forget to give us some cover; it's a full moon out tonight."

"Right." she nodded. Not wanting to waste any time in flying, Mina took out her transport rock and used it to take her to the generator.

"Good thinking on your part, Skinner." Jekyll praised, "Now, how do you suppose we deal with the voluptuous homunculus out there?"

"Depends on what you mean by deal with." Skinner chuckled.

"Skinner!" Quixote snapped as they continued to defend themselves.

"Right, not the best time. Uh, as soon as Mina gets rid of the light, we split up and two of each take on one of them."

"Quixote and I have Pride." Shan Yu said with no room for discussion.

"Fine, we'll handle Lust, then." Jekyll shrugged from behind his cover, "Anytime now, Mina!"

Back in town, Mina was searching aimlessly for the generator's power switch. Unfortunately, all she could find was console with buttons. "Bloody hell, why can't things ever be simple for us?" she asked the heavens, "Okay, got to pick a button. Pick a button, pick a button, pick a button. Um…oh, hell with it."

Without much care, the lovely vampire slammed her fist through the console and watched as it shut down and emitted smoke as the power finally shut down. "There, that ought to do it. Good Lord, we're going to owe this town a hefty payment for all the damages after tomorrow."

 **OUaT**

Following Jekyll's recruitment, the three gentlemen continued to discuss who would be acceptable for the remaining four positions. Nemo did have other agents in mind, but Jekyll did, as well. So, as to compromise, Quartermain listened to both suggestions starting with his newest subordinate.

"So, how skilled is this one, Jekyll?" he asked gruffly as they walked through headquarters.

"I'd say very." the doctor replied, "I've never worked with the man, myself, but I have seen his skills displayed here during training. I can't say that I know much of his past, but I can vouch for his combat prowess. He currently holds the title of the most profound hand-to-hand combat fighter in the entire League. Fair warning, though, he's incredibly annoying and will most likely try to steal your money. Oh, and he'll most likely be naked."

"We should have gone with your choice, instead." Quartermain dryly said to Nemo.

"Oh, don't be like that, Allan." Skinner said making himself known, despite being unseen.

"No games here, Jekyll." the old man warned, "What is this?"

With a smirk, Jekyll gave his reply. "Some time ago, a brilliant, although misguided man of science discovered the means to become invisible."

"Yes, I recall. But didn't he die?" he asked.

"Oh, he did. But his process didn't. You see, I stole it and here I stand for all to see." Skinner clarified with a hint of playful sarcasm.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Quartermain asked.

"Believe it." Skinner said bumping into the old man before barely dodging the swing of his arm, "Easy, Allan. Hmm, I'm feeling a draft in my nether regions; I kind of like it. Allow me to introduce myself; Rodney Skinner, Gentlemen Thief."

"Or as he is more commonly known, the Invisible Man." Jekyll added while Skinner but on his coat and hat.

"I thought invisibility would be would be a boon to my work before joining up with the League, and it was. But, as you can imagine, the thrill of thievery loses its edge once it becomes too easy. So, after trying to steal a certain trinket from one of the higher ups, I was given a choice by S; become an LXG agent, or be killed by the one I robbed. Obviously, I made the right choice. This job has been the best thing of my entire life!"

"This is who you think would be a good addition to the team?" Quartermain asked the doctor, "An invisible nudist thief who runs his mouth without stop?"

"Oh, he can do more than you think, Quartermain." Jekyll assured before reaching for a large, nearby cinderblock on the ground and hurling it towards the man, "Skinner, think fast!"

Hearing these words, the other two agents thought what was to happen next would be Skinner simply catching the block, however, he did something that managed to impress them, instead. As soon as the block came towards him, the Invisible Man reduced it into fragments with a single, yet powerful, punch. After he wiped the dust and granite off his fist, he began to wrap his hands and head with goths along with adding a pair of black lensed goggles.

"While I may be a thief, I also happen to be a master of over a dozen different styles of combat. That's the thing when it comes to invisibility, if you want it to be effective, you can't afford to carry anything visible. Luckily for me, I already developed those skills long before I stole that old man's formula." Skinner explained, "And after years of intensive training, I've honed my body into the only weapon I'll ever need. You wouldn't believe how many times I've literally crushed people's skulls in my bare hands over the years."

"There isn't any other non-enhanced human in the League with his skills, that I have seen." Jekyll informed, "It's your decision, Quartermain, but I truly think he'd be usefully to us."

"His stealth would prove to be helpful in times when we need to acquire information or covertly eliminate our enemies, Allan." Nemo consulted.

"Come again?" Skinner asked after he finished wrapping himself.

"S has promoted Quartermain to Senior Field Agent and has allowed him to personally select the members of his branch. I suggested you as a possible addition." Jekyll explained.

"Not possible," Quartermain said, "Acceptable. You're in."

"Is that right?" Skinner asked crossing his arms, "While I'm flattered, what makes you think I want to join up with you lot? I've got a pretty good arrangement going on with my rank."

"It pays more." Quartermain said flatly.

"My friends! My pals!" Skinner cheered happily before trying to wrap his arms around his new leader. However, just before he could, Quartermain pulled out and cocked his revolver before pressing the barrel under his jaw.

"Don't do that again." he dryly ordered.

"Not a problem." Skinner nervously chuckled then cleared his throat, "So, I take it that I'm number four, then?"

"Looks that way." Quartermain nodded, "Nemo, are you still willing to introduce me to your other suggestion?"

"Only if you don't mind firing a few bullets, Allan. From what I hear, he's actually a fan of yours." the captain replied before they all headed down further into the training area. At one spot in particular, the four agents saw two men readying themselves for a contest. One was a younger looking man with a bored look on his face dressed like a cowboy armed with two revolvers and a belt filled with bullets. The other was a greasy, fat man slightly older with a long black beard, two knives in his hands and his tongue sticking out like a dog would when sticking its head out of a car's window.

"Gather round, folks!" the fatso hollered, "Today, you'll bear witness to the finest display of knife throwing you'll ever see! I'm here to show you that a blade, no matter what size, can still outmatch a gun any day of the week."

"Tell me that you aren't going to convince me that we need that loudmouth?" Quartermain asked his second-in-command.

"No, no, not that one." Nemo eased, "Besides, we already have one now that we have Skinner."

"Hey!" the other agent whined.

"It's the other one." he said pointing to the younger man, "Agent Tom Sawyer. Highly skilled marksman, proficient in hand-to-hand combat, expert in both tracking and espionage and, as I said before, a fan of your work. He hails from the realm known as the 'Wildlands' and, at one time, was a member of a group of men who did similar work to ours in that realm before he was recruited. The only other person I've seen out shoot him is you."

"Interesting." Jekyll mused as they all looked down at him, "He does carry a look of experience on his person."

"Looks like we arrived just in time to see if the urchin's got what it takes." Skinner pointed out.

"Are you ready, everyone?" the man hollered earning a roar from the crowd, "Alright! The rules are simple; whoever knocks the other's can over with their weapon first is the winner. Don't blink. You ready, boy?"

"For this little shindig to get started or for you to stop running your mouth like a jackrabbit?" Sawyer dryly asked with a faint smirk at the end, earning him a scowl. The two then took their places and had their hands hang over their weapons in anticipation.

"Call it." the man ordered the overseer. A few seconds later, he fired his gun and everyone watched Sawyer fire his gun and the man throw his knife, both hitting their targets. The crowd was silent before the fat man started bolstering about winning, despite the overseer not declaring the winner. Sawyer, on the other hand, couldn't care less and decided to take a seat on the ground against the post of the fence they were in.

"Well, you see, folks? I won!" the man cheered while the overseer walked past him towards Sawyer with a small sack of money.

"No, you didn't. He did." he said dryly as he walked past the fool.

"Wait, what?" he asked.

"Congratulations, here's your prize." the overseer said, dropping the money in his lap.

"What are you talking about?!" the fat man bellowed, "Folks, you saw it, right? You've all got eyes, I won! Kid, tell 'em, I won!"

"You lost, hoss. Let it go." Sawyer said covering his eyes with his hat.

"…You're a liar." the fatso accused while kicking his boot, "I said, you're a liar."

Sawyer responded with silence as the man continued to vent his anger and accuse him.

"I said, you're a coward and a liar! Get up, let's do it for real. Get up!" he shouted before taking his own gun and shooting around his crossed legs.

Having enough, Sawyer raised his hat and rose to his feet so they could return to their previous spots. The fat man readied his knife while Sawyer drew his own weapon. Looking over at the stoic overseer, Sawyer gave him a nod and told him to call it. After another few seconds, his signal was fired and everyone watched what happened with conflicted looks on their faces. Faster than they could blink, Sawyer drew his other revolver and shot the arrogant agent directly in the heart. The overseer then went over to check on him and looked up at Sawyer blankly.

"He's dead." he said, "You killed him."

"Well, that's what he gets for bringing a knife to a gun fight." Sawyer said clearly unfazed by the life he just took. Unfortunately for him, fatso wasn't alone that day. He come with five other men, all of which brandishing their own weapons directed at Sawyer. But just as they began to charge at him, he cocked back the hammer and, with great skill and expertise, shot all five of them, one after the other, in a matter of seconds and walked away.

"He's good. He's _very_ good." Skinner acknowledged, "I'd really like to see what the kid's like when he's serious in a fight."

"Despite his age, Agent Sawyer has more experience in being savage than most agents. That group he was a part of in his realm revered him and his partner as the best among their numbers. He would definitely be a good addition, Allan."

"I'll decide that, Nemo." Quartermain reminded as he headed towards the young agent, "Boy, a word."

"Agent Quartermain?" he asked, surprised to see the agent he most respected approach him, "Wh-what can I do for you, sir?"

"Not call me 'sir' for starters." Quartermain replied, "Second of all, I saw your little contest there."

"It was either them or me." he shrugged.

"Oh, I agree." the old man nodded, "And after that little display you gave, I have an offer for you."

"What kind of offer?" he asked.

"I've been appointed to lead my own branch and select its members. You want in?"

"Yes!" Sawyer immediately replied before composing himself, "Ahem! I mean, yes, I accept your offer."

"Just two more to go." Quartermain thought.

 **OUaT**

All over town, every source of electronic devices was cut off from their power source causing yet another town-wide blackout. As soon as this happened, Mina used her powers again to cover the light of the moon with a complete and thick overcast. Inside the mansion, the lights quickly shut down before restoring.

"The hell was that?" Emma asked.

"That would be one of the guys outside coming up with the idea of shutting down the town's power in an attempt to cripple Pride who, I am guessing, is currently attacking us." Nicholas nonchalantly replied.

"Why would they do that?" Zelena asked.

"Duh," Nicholas scoffed, "He uses shadows. Even those, bizarre though they may be, need a light source to create them. No light, no shadows, no threating ability. Just a smug little kid who needs a trip behind the wood shed."

"Aren't you going to go out there and help?" his sister asked.

"And risk letting any of you sneak out while the doors are unlocked?" he asked with a scoff, "Nice try, sis, but none of you are getting out until I say so. Especially you, Dark One."

After raising his voice, Rumplestiltskin decided to join them in their little card game. "What's the matter, Flamel? Afraid I might go back on our deal? I agreed to cooperate, as per the terms in our arrangement, and I'll have you know, I am a man of my word when it comes to such things."

"And you're also a slimey bastard that looks for loopholes in every deal that you make." he retorted, "What exactly were you doing back there?"

"Just admiring your collection of artwork." Gold smirked, "I must say, they are all quite intimidating; especially that one at the end of the hall."

"Fair warning, Mr. Gold, if you touch any of those paintings, especially that one, I will shoot you in the head." Nicholas warned while looking at the cards he was shuffling.

"And why is that? Sentimental reasons?" he asked.

"If you think that I am going to let any sort of details slip, Dark One, then you still haven't learned."

"Learned what?"

"That when compared to me, you are not that smart or clever." Nicholas replied with a smirk causing the other sacrifice to glare at him, "Don't forget, the League still wants you dead and we're not known to provide information about our organization to our targets. Once we've killed all the Homunculi and the Amestrians, you'll no longer be off limits; and there are plenty of agents who want to kill you. But, until then, care to join us?"

"Well, it's not like I can do much else right now." Rumple relented as he took his seat, "You seem rather calm right now, Flamel. Given how severe you've made tomorrow sound, I assumed that you would be more on edge."

"Not at all." he replied as he passed out the cards, "I have faith in my plans and my comrades, so there's not much of a reason to worry. Besides, I've been waiting for what comes next for over fifty years. I want this to be over with so I can move on with my life."

"Are you ever going to tell us exactly what it is they plan to do?" Zelena asked.

"I did tell you." her brother replied, "I told you that none of you would understand it. And if you did, I know for a fact that Emma would be charging straight into the battlefield to stop them."

"But why aren't you out there fighting like you were earlier?" Emma asked.

"Unfortunately, that's because Quartermain doesn't want me to get led into a corner and ambushed by the remaining Homunculi so I can be brought to their father. Especially since we're gonna need my strength and immortality to deal with the Amestrians."

"Yeah, about that," Rumple interrupted, "I've never heard of this Amestris place before."

"Maybe that's because it's fairly new and it rose to its current power during the first curse; it wasn't effected like the other realms were." Nicholas replied, "They'll be here."

"How do you know?" Zelena asked.

"I just do, sister dear." he said indicating that he was losing his patience with all these questions. Back outside, Mina rejoined the others after flying over as a swarm of bats.

"The main generator has been taken care of." she informed, "I don't know for sure, though, if there's a backup power source the town uses in case of emergencies. If there is, or if they decide to use non-electrical sources of lighting, then it won't be long before those damn shadows come back."

"If there isn't another generator, then the only other way for them to turn the power back on is by fixing it with magic." Quixote pointed out, "And we happen to have all of Storybrooke's magic users inside, no?"

"No, we don't." Skinner clarified, "Those damn fairies have their magic, too. They may try to fix it while we're working. Shit!"

"Mina, can you sense where the Homunculi are positioned?" Jekyll asked.

"Yes," she nodded, "I can see that Lust has left and that Pride isn't that far off from here."

"The kid is useless without those shadows of his." Shan Yu offered, "If you can see him, it'd be best for all of us if you face him while he's crippled."

"My thoughts exactly." she nodded, "Can you boys hold on without me?"

"Lust left, didn't she?" Jekyll asked, "We'll be fine. Just eliminate Pride before he gets any closer to the mansion. If we lose any of the sacrifices, we'll be worse for wear. Go."

Through the darkness and trees, Pride looked up at the sky in search of any sign of potential gaps in the clouds but to no avail. "That damn vampire's completely covered the sky." he thought, "But that means the others won't be able to see in this darkness, either. Sooner or later, the town's lights will come on."

As he thought this, he was interrupted by the pain of having claws slice through his back with great force. Given how close his attacker was, Pride was able to make out Mina's form and red, glowing eyes in the darkness as he tried to get out of her reach.

"You're not getting away!" she snarled as she continued to claw at him.

"You've got some pretty strong nerves to attack a small child without even flinching." he mocked.

"That would be different if you were an actual child, but I know what you are!" Mina shouted as she slashed at him, slammed him against the trees and rocks, and tossed him around like a rag doll, "Not only that, but I'd have to be an idiot to not strike you while I can. Every fiber of my being is telling me to kill you before you kill me!"

Over with the others, Jekyll had offered an idea of them sticking close together just in case any other Homunculi decided to show up. Just before he was about to discuss with them their next plan of attack, he heard Shan Yu's voice cry out.

"Get down!"

A split second later, after warning the others, a large mass zoomed past them and struck a nearby tree. Out of the four of them, only Skinner was familiar with the sound of its voice and excessive munching.

"I smell you, invisible gentleman." it said.

"Tch, perfect." Skinner growled.

"What? Which one is it?!" Quixote asked.

"It's that fat sod Gluttony." he answered, "This one has Nicholas' heightened sense of smell and an ability to swallow anything with his peculiar, second mouth. So, now we know what their plan is. Pride will fight when the lights are on while Gluttony will do it in the dark thanks to that nose of his; he'll smell us out like a rabid bloodhound."

"I also smell people I've never smelled before." Gluttony said sniffing the air, "And they smell tasty."

"If that's the case, then it's time for us to put this dog down!" Shan Yu roared as he charged directly towards Gluttony with his sword. In a rapid blur, he was able to slice through the large Homunculus' flesh and even severed a few limps in the process. All Gluttony could do was cry out in agony due to being unable to see his attacker.

"Now, for the final blow!" Shan Yu shouted as he used his arm to perform a lariat on Gluttony. However, he mistakenly ended up striking Skinner, instead.

"Jekyll, you rat bastard. You said that we should stick close together to _avoid_ hurting each other!" he wheezed while cradling his stomach on the ground.

"Sorry, but in my defense, that was Shan Yu's fault." the doctor sheepishly defended, "How is it that he can attack Gluttony so easily in all this darkness?"

"He's got the eyes of a hawk and probably did this sort of thing all the time back in his realm." Skinner offered as he rose to his feet while Gluttony continued to scream in pain in between spewing out blood from his mouth, "Either way, I'm not going to let Shan Yu have all the fun!"

"Will you stop killing me?" Gluttony wailed while Shan Yu continued to cut him, "I don't want to die anymore!"

"Too bad, fatso!" Skinner shouted as he jumped on him, wrapped his legs around his neck and grab his head before crushing it in his mighty grip.

"Gah!" he cried as his head grew back after Skinner backed away, "That hurt! Why won't you just let me eat you already?"

"That's a stupid question!" they all shouted while Shan Yu thrusted his sword into his enemy's mouth before yanking it out and decapitating him.

"I don't get it," Gluttony sobbed after his head grew back again, "It's so dark here. So, how do you know where I am? You can't see me!"

"I can, and even if I couldn't, you're too big a damn target to miss!" Shan Yu shouted as he delivered an uppercut to Gluttony's jaw with his gauntlet covered fist, which caused the Homunculus to bite his tongue off.

Quixote then charged in with his own sword and cut off both of Gluttony's hands while Jekyll backed him up with his spear skewering his thick and fat neck. While the men were having it easy in dealing with Gluttony, Mina was struggling with keeping Pride down. Despite the brat not being able to use his shadows, he had a more durable body than the other Homunculi, thus wasn't suffering much harm from the vampire's attacks. Even after being thrown and pummeled into the ground, the boy simply looked up at her with contempt.

"What do I have to do to make you stay dead?" she asked herself. As she reared her claws back for another strike, an unfortunate occurrence happened. Two random citizens of Storybrooke, using kerosene lamps of all things, stumbled upon them with looks of horror.

"What is that thing? A monster?" one asked before noticing Pride, "Oh, no, it's got a kid!"

It took a moment, but Mina realized the problem the two onlookers just made for her. With a look of panic, she jerked her head down to see Pride giving her a devious smirk as the light from the lamps danced on his face. From there, he decided to envelope the entire cleared area behind them with his shadows and use them to slash through Mina's flesh. Following this attack, Pride took the liberty of knocking the lamps out of the citizens' hands causing them to set fire to the bushes and grass they landed in. Slowly, but surely, the woods began to burn as the fire quickly spread, thus giving Pride all the light he could want for his shadows.

"Dammit," Mina hissed as her wounds healed.

"I'm glad they could shed some light on us." Pride smiled as he readied a shadowy spear, "Now, let's shed more of your blood. I wonder how many times it will take for a vampire like you to truly stay dead. Goodbye, Ms. LXG Agent."

In an unbelievable speed, the shadow darted towards Mina's head only to be caught in her the grip of both hands. That being said, the attack did manage to push her back enough to cause small trenches where her feet stood. "It's 'Mrs.,' you damn brat."

Having enough of the odd shadow, the vampire lady turned into a swarm of bats before engulfing the small boy. Granted, even if the small bites of bats were not enough to cause significant damage to him, Pride still couldn't maneuver his shadows to get rid of them in such close proximity. This proved inconvenient for him the moment Mina reverted back to her other form and took the liberty of snapping his neck and breaking his spine with a powerful kick.

"You damn, woman!" Pride cried as he healed, glared at her and aimed a sea of shadows at her. But she was not afraid. Quite the opposite, for all she had on her face was a triumphant smirk.

"Sawyer!" she shouted as she crouched down and covered her face with the skirt around her waist. It was then that Pride gasped and looked up to see Sawyer jump out of the non-burning trees and hurl one of Shan Yu's flash bombs at the boy's feet. Before the Homunculus could react, the bomb detonated and destroyed all of Pride's shadows. As this happened, Gluttony ran towards his brother for help as he cried and allowed his arms to grow back.

"Bastards!" Pride shouted as his shadows charged them.

"Have another!" Sawyer cried tossing another bomb as Gluttony joined them.

"Did you see that bright light, Pride?" he asked before the light blinded them and destroyed his brother's shadows once more, "My eyes!"

"You're pushing your luck." Pride warned after the others joined and the lights dimmed, "They've really roughed you up. Haven't they, Gluttony?"

"Yeah, but only because those meanies weren't fighting fair." Gluttony answered like an innocent child, "They were doing something that could see me in the dark."

"Really?" his brother asked before licking his lips.

"Now what's he doing?" Sawyer thought taking notice of this.

"Gluttony, how many times have they killed you?" Pride asked darkly.

"I lost count. But I know it was a lot, though." Gluttony replied.

"They've beaten me up pretty badly, too." he admitted as his shadows discreetly surrounded his brother, "The way things are going, there's a very real chance that they might kill us for good."

"Yeah," Gluttony said unaware of what was about to happen to him, "But that's okay because Father will fix us."

It was then that the childlike Homunculus took notice of the dozens of black hands squirming around his feet, like predators about to attack their prey.

"No! Please, don't do it, Pride." Gluttony begged in fear while the shadows opened their mouths.

Pride himself merely chuckled while licking his lips before snatching up his brother with his largest shadow and holding him in its maw. The agents looked up in horror at what they saw next. The mouth bit Gluttony in two as he sobbed in fear while the upper part of his severed body slowly disintegrated.

"No, Pride! Don't eat me. It hurts! Please help me, Lust!"

But no help came from his sister, or anyone for that matter. And so, rather than being killed by Nicholas Flamel, or one of his fellow League members, Gluttony the Voracious was devoured by a member of his own kind, his brother of all things.

"Ah, this should make things much easier." Pride sighed in relief having finished his meal, "I can practically smell every movement you make. I could do without the ravenous hunger, though. Oh, well. Perhaps all of you will be enough to hold down my appetite."

"How could a monster like this come from Nicholas of all people?" Mina asked herself in horror as he mind flashed back to when he was still a boy.

 **OUaT**

"So, does anyone have any ideas for the last two seats?" Skinner asked the day after Sawyer's recruitment. Currently, they were outside their headquarters, sitting on various giant, fallen, yet intentionally placed, marble columns.

"None that would be able to keep up with this merry band." Jekyll remarked.

"Well, we've only got 'bout one other day left before S comes in and picks 'em out for us." Sawyer reminded.

"Unfortunately, I, too, have no one else to suggest, given the skills we all possess." Nemo added, "What about you, Allan? You've asked all of us at every turn but have yet to select one, yourself."

"I have _one_ in mind, Nemo." Quartermain replied from his seat with his back to the others, "And I shall recruit them, myself, when we have acquired our sixth member."

"Why wait until then?" Sawyer and Skinner asked.

"You'll know when I tell you." he replied.

"I suggest we head back inside and observe the training arenas, again." Jekyll recommended, leaping off his seat, "Perhaps we overlooked someone who could work well with us."

"Better than sitting around here all day." Skinner muttered loud enough for them all to hear. Once back inside, all five gentlemen looked down at the arenas with bored looks on their faces.

"I mean, what are we even looking for?" Sawyer asked with less patience than what he had earlier.

"Well, we've got the greatest hunter and marksman who ever lived, a genius swordsman, an outstanding chemist, the greatest and handsomest invisible thief in all the realms, and a sharpshooter. We're not exactly what most would consider compatible, so finding other partners will prove to be difficult." Skinner pointed out as sounds from an arena grew louder.

"Sounds like someone is causing quite the ruckus down there." Jekyll observed, "I think I see them."

"Is-is that a child?" Skinner asked.

Sure enough, it was indeed a child that was causing all the noise down below. A young boy, no younger than sixteen, with brown hair and eyes wearing a strange, long, red coat fighting incredibly large golems made of bronze. Who was certainly holding his own against them as proof when he punched a golem's incoming fist and destroyed it in a burst of red lightning.

"Huh," Sawyer remarked, "I guess those rumors goin' around are true."

"Rumors?" Nemo asked.

"You haven't heard? Apparently, the director personally recruited some kid from the Enchanted Forest about a year ago. Since then, he's done just as good a job as you, Quartermain." he explained, "I've never seen him myself, but the ones who have say that he looks just like that kid down there. I think his name is…Nicholas! Nicholas Flammable, or something."

"…Yeah, I don't think that's it, Sawyer." Skinner said dryly, "Still, he seems to be holding his own quite well down there. And if S of all people recruited him, I'm curious as to what makes him extraordinary."

"As am I." Jekyll nodded, "What do you think, Quartermain?"

But the moment he looked over to where Quartermain was standing, he finally noticed that he was gone and headed down towards the arena. Not that anyone had asked him, but the older gentleman had indeed heard of the mysterious youngster that had been recruited by the director, and he was most certainly interested as to why.

"You there. Boy." he called.

"Who said that?" he asked just before one of the golems' fists broke off and from its wrist and sliced the poor kid in half with a diagonal slash with its axe.

"Oh!" Sawyer shouted as shock overtook him and the others.

"Holy shit!" Jekyll cursed.

"Oh, my!" Nemo shouted.

"Why must the good die young?!" Skinner screamed overdramatically as he fell to his knees.

But before Quartermain could say or do anything, red sparks of electricity surged from the severed legs. In an instant, the boy looked completely unscathed as though nothing happened.

"Ow." he said bluntly dusting himself off, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"How are you not dead, boy?" Quartermain asked, mouth agape.

"Uh, that's a long story." he said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck, "And one I don't exactly tell people."

"Is your name Nicholas Flammable?"

"No. It's _Flamel_. Special Agent Nicholas Flamel." Flamel dryly corrected, "And you are?"

"Special Agent Allan Quartermain. Tell me, what was that little surge of red just a moment ago?" Quartermain asked.

"It's called alchemy. And, no, it is not a form of magic. It is a complex science that requires years of training just to understand the basics." he snapped, "Sorry, it's just that everyone automatically assumes that it's magic for some reason. As if that is the only logical outcome."

"And what I just saw, that comes from obtaining your level of experience?" he asked.

"No," Flamel replied looking away in what Quartermain saw as shame, "No, I obtained that by other means, which were not my own. It's what has earned me the appropriate title of the Immortal Alchemist."

"You cannot be killed?" Quartermain asked.

"So far, nothing has proven fatal for me." Flamel shrugged, "Any wound I receive heals instantly."

"So let me get this straight," Sawyer began bluntly as he and the others somehow managed to hear everything, "The kid is immortal."

"Can regenerate any of his wounds." Jekyll added.

"An apparent master of his craft." Nemo continued.

"And is clearly a top notch fighter." Skinner finished before they all looked at one another with the same thought in mind.

"He's in." they all said.

"Not to sound rude, Agent Quartermain, but what is it that you want with me?" Flamel asked giving the older agent a suspicious glance.

"I have been given the authority to put together my own branch by S, himself. After observing that little display of yours, I have decided offer you one of the remaining positions." Quartermain explained.

"…Why?" Flamel asked, not letting his guard drop for a second.

"You have the potential to do great things. And…there's something I can see in you, something I have yet to see in anyone else in this entire organization. I don't know what, but I can tell it is special. What say you, Immortal Alchemist? Will you join us?"

"…No." Flamel said as he turned away to storm off, "I work better alone. Find someone else to join your damn team."

But as he hurried away from the old man, Flamel stopped dead in his tracks when Quartermain suddenly appeared right before him in an instant. But rather than a look of anger or impatience on his face, as most would expect, he had a calm, fatherly expression a parent normally used when trying to understand their child; something no one would expect Allan Quartermain to have.

"I thought you were offering me the position, not forcing me." Flamel snapped as he tried to brush past him only to be stopped and pushed back.

"I am giving you a choice. That being said, I would like to know why you declined." Quartermain clarified.

"You said that you're building a team, right? Well, in order for a team to work, you need your people to trust one another, and I, Agent Quartermain, learned quite some time ago not to trust anyone. So, pardon my rudeness, but take your team, take your offer and piss off!" Flamel spat.

"Boy," Quartermain said in a warning tone as he once again stopped Flamel, "Take it from someone who has spent a lifetime of being alone. You may think that it is better to keep yourself from others, but you are wrong."

"Oh, you think you know me so well, don't you?" Flamel asked, anger rising, "Tell me, old man, with all your experiences, how does one cope with the venomous sting of betrayal? The scars it leaves on your soul. How should I move forward when the only friend I have ever known used me and robbed me of the one thing I have desired? That I deserve!"

"And that was?" Quartermain calmly asked.

"That's none of your business." he said wanting to drop the subject, "Just leave me the hell alone!"

"Wow," Sawyer said as they all watched the boy storm off, "That kid's got issues."

"Hm-hmm." Skinner nodded.

"Does anyone else find it odd that while we four accepted Quartermain's offer without a second thought, that young man down there flat out refused him?" Jekyll asked, "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

"Pft, yeah! Makes you wonder if we made a terrible mistake." Skinner laughed.

"Hmm, don't count your chickens before they hatch, gentlemen." Nemo warned, "It doesn't look like our fearless leader is through with him just yet."

"Will you stop following me, already?!" Flamel asked as Quartermain continued to pursue him.

"Not until you agree to join my team, boy." Quartermain retorted.

"Ugh! Listen to me, you old coot!" the boy yelled, "I'm not joining anything. Unless S himself comes down here from his office, bops me on the head with that golden scepter of his, and says the words, 'Agent Flamel, I order you to join Agent Quartermain's team, or so help me, I will tell your mother about your job and have you dragged by the ear all the way back to your estate in the Enchanted Forest.' Only then, will I join you."

"…You are from the Enchanted Forest?" Quartermain asked as though he ignored everything else the boy said.

"Yeah?" Flamel trailed.

"So am I." he said with a faint smirk, "Which kingdom do you hail from?"

"Um, the, uh, the Southeastern Kingdom ruled by King Xavier, my grandfather." Flamel replied.

"So, you're a prince, then?" he asked as they sat on a nearby bench.

"Eh," the younger agent replied turning his hand, "Kinda sorta. Let's just say that there would need to be a substantial amount of deaths in the family before my father would be recognized for the throne, if you catch my drift."

"Ah." Quartermain said understanding the hint, "So, I take it that your grandfather doesn't show much interest in any of you, then?"

"Please," Flamel scoffed, "The man has never shown any interest in us ever since my parents married. Neither my sister or I have even seen the bastard in person; just an ugly ass portrait we have to keep since he, technically, owns our estate. In fact, if it weren't for my high maintenance mother, people would probably forget about us, all together; not that I or my sister would mind, however."

"How old's your sister?" Quartermain asked.

"Oh, she's about four years older than me, so, almost twenty-one. All she wants to do is spend every day riding her horse with our stable boy, but Mother always seems to interfere with that. I've never seen a more smothering parent."

"And she doesn't do that to you?"

"Oh, no, she does." Flamel assured jokingly, "Just not as much as she does my sister; thank God. So, what about you? You got a family?"

"…Had. I had a family." Quartermain replied somberly, "A wife and…a child. Both of whom, when they needed me the most, I failed them and in doing so, lost them forever."

"Oh," Flamel said realizing what happened, "I see. My condolences. I'm not really a person of faith, but, uh, who knows? Perhaps, one day, you'll see them again."

"That's unlikely." the older man whispered, "You look like you've experienced a similar loss."

"Not personally, but I know _plenty_ of people who have." he replied thinking of all the wailing souls inside him, "Agent Quartermain, why are you asking me all these questions?"

"To show you that it is easier than you think to make a friend." he answered fondly, "You've been hurt been very badly by someone, haven't you, son?"

"Yeah," Flamel nodded, "But the sick thing about is that he doesn't see it that way. He thinks that everything he did for me was a way to express his gratitude for what I did for him. Since then, I dunno, I guess I was too afraid to take another chance."

"Fear is irrational." Quartermain bluntly stated, "It is nothing but a roadblock one can overcome once they try."

"And how do you suppose I…" Flamel trailed before he made the connection, "Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no-agh! Fine, dammit! I'll join you. Happy now?"

"Let's settle with, pleased that I won our little battle of wit." Quartermain smirked as he pulled the boy off the bench. As he did, the others finally joined them, eager to meet their newest comrade. "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce our new companion, the Immortal Alchemist, Nicholas Flamel."

"Hey, how's it going?" he nonchalantly greeted, which earned him a look from his new leader, "What?"

"Howdy." Sawyer nodded.

"Welcome aboard." Nemo said kindly.

"I look forward to working with you." Jekyll said with a smile.

"Sure you're not pull our legs with that 'immortal' bit, eh, Nick?" Skinner asked.

"Yeah," Flamel said sucking in the air through his teeth in annoyance, "I would rather that you refrained from calling me that. No offense, but I don't like it when people abbreviate my name. You can just call me Nicholas or Flamel."

"Okay then." Skinner said awkwardly.

"Oh, don't get me wrong! I'm not trying to sound pretentious, or anything." Flamel clarified hastily, "It's just a little quirk of mine."

"Eh, I can understand that." he shrugged, "You can just call me Skinner."

"Oh, because of the bandages, right?" Flamel asked.

"Pardon?" the Invisible Man asked as they all began to leave the arena.

"Well, your bandages. They're meant to cover your body due to your lack of skin, hence why you're called Skinner, right?"

"Um, no." Skinner replied, "My name's Rodney Skinner. People just call me Skinner on account of adults having a tendency to refer to others by their last name."

"Oh. So, what's with the bandages, then?" Flamel asked curiously. To answer that question, Skinner simply unraveled his left hand to revel absolutely nothing to the young agent.

"They don't call me the Invisible Man for 'nothin, lad." he smirked.

"Incredible!" Flamel said in awe, "But wait. You wrap yourself in bandages when you want people to see you?"

"That's right." Skinner nodded.

"Doesn't that take a while?" he asked.

"Eh, at times, I suppose it does." his new friend admitted, "Just with my face, though."

"And that isn't suffocating for you?" Flamel asked.

"Well, a little bit." Skinner nodded as the youngster began to make him bashful at how he hadn't thought his method through, "But in my experience, it's the best way for people to notice me when I want them to."

"Why not just wear gloves and makeup?" Flamel suggested.

"Huh?"

"Just wear gloves on your hands and wear a kind of makeup that comes off easily with liquids."

"…Nicholas," Skinner said wrapping an arm around the young man's shoulder, "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"So, now that we've added Flamel to our ranks, who's gonna fill in the last seat, Quartermain?" Sawyer asked, "You said earlier that you had someone in mind."

"That I did." Quartermain nodded as they exited the building and went outside, "And in order to speak with them, we will have to make a trip to the Land of Untold Stories."

"The Land of Untold Stories?" Jekyll asked, "Why there? There are plenty more agents here at headquarters. That place is mostly filled with refugees and family members of other agents."

As Jekyll reminded them all of that well known fact, they found themselves following Quartermain inside a small, domed building. Inside was a single room, a tube made of glass panels, a, large hexagon platform on the floor with a strange design, and a window with a man dressed as a cowboy chewing a piece of tobacco on the other side.

"Six going down." Quartermain said to him with a short glance.

"Six 'goin down." the cowboy nodded while spitting into his spittoon and using his console to activate the hexagon to send them all down the glass tube.

"While all of that is true, Agent Jekyll, there is, in fact, a place in that land the League had specially made for a significant purpose. And now that I am a Senior Field Agent, I have permission to enter that place at my own free will. Nemo, you will be accompanying me once we arrive."

"Very well, but I do hope that you will explain your intentions to me once we arrive." Nemo replied. That being said, once they reached their destination, he was not at all please with what he heard.

"You cannot be serious!" he all but shrieked as he followed Quartermain down the hall of the prison their comrade would one day be warden of, "Allan, this is madness!"

"How is this madness?" he asked rolling his eyes.

"Look, I know S said that you were free to select anyone you wanted for our branch, but I highly doubt what you have in mind is acceptable!" Nemo bellowed.

"Maybe, but he never said that it was unacceptable, either." Quartermain countered.

"Yes, but _her_?! You want to add _her_ to the team? Need I remind you that the deputy director almost lost his life before he finally subdued her?" Nemo asked frantically as he tried to stop the man.

"No, you do not." Quartermain replied as he brushed past him and reached the room he was headed towards, "As I do not need to remind you that I am the one who decides who is fit to join us, and who is not."

"And should S refuse your decision?" Nemo asked as the guards stepped aside and opened the door for Quartermain.

"Then I shall take it up with him." he calmly replied, "Just wait here. And don't contact the director…or the deputy director…or the League's third-in-command, either. In fact, don't speak to anyone, let alone contact anyone while I am in here, Nemo. That's an order."

After finally closing the door, Quartermain entered what seemed like an interrogation room. However, rather than just a table and two chairs, there were armored guards with drawn weapons in each corner of the room; all of which had their eyes fixated on the woman wrapped in chains and bound to her chair. Underneath those chains was a torn black and white prison jumpsuit with a number sewn over her large left breast. It was difficult to tell at first, given that her hair was draped over her face, but Quartermain was able to spot a glowing red eye glaring in his direction. Unfazed by this glare, Quartermain took his seat across from her and opened the file laying on the table and took out his reading glasses.

"Dr. Wilhelmina Harker, formally Murray. Hails from the Land Without Color. Respected and widely known chemist. Widow to the late Dr. Jonathan Harker. And formally ranked as the League's third most wanted criminal up until being captured by the deputy director." Quartermain listed before closing the file and looking up at the woman with a fake playful smile.

"Are you going to read my horoscope next? I'll have you know, I'm a Pisces." Mina said in low, rough, threatening voice.

"Not today." he replied, "My name is Allan Quartermain, Senior Field Agent of the LXG."

"I've heard of you." Mina acknowledged, "I'm quite surprised your director never sent you, the great hunter, to come find me."

"Well, I can't do all the work, now can I?" he asked.

"What do you want, Quartermain?" she flatly asked as another guard walked in with a tray of food; or to be more precise, a big, bloody steak with potatoes and water.

"Thank you." he said to the guard before turning to the hungry looking vampire eyeing the steak, "Oh, please, excuse me. I haven't had lunch, yet. But to answer your question, I have come to offer you something, doctor. Consider it a once in a lifetime opportunity."

While she may not have looked as though she was paying attention, due to her licking her lips at the rare meat being cut, Mina was listening to the proposition intensely. "I'm listening."

"Yes, I believe you are." he chuckled before taking a bite, "Despite what your file may say, I know there's more to your story than most. I know that you weren't always what you are, and that you, for a brief time, worked alongside our deputy director with your husband."

"And just what am I, Mr. Q?" she asked, daring him to say it.

"A vampire." he replied without hesitation or fear as he kept eating, "And a powerful one, at that. You and your late husband helped my superior in hunting down a certain monster in your homeland quite some time ago. Unfortunately, you all were unsuccessful and in the end, you lost your husband, and your humanity in the process. From there, you yourself were labeled as a monster by your people and acted in self-defense whenever the torches, pitchforks, and wooden stakes were brought out. However, there were times when you went overboard."

"According to those paranoid idiots who survived." Mina interrupted defensively.

"Be that as it may," Quartermain argued, "While you did act in self-defense, there were times when you killed innocents. We don't tolerate that in the League."

"There was a different reason for that." Mina snapped, "And you can thank that miserable bastard for what happened."

"Blaming Dracula for your mistakes won't clear you of your crimes, Dr. Harker." Quartermain dryly pointed out. Unfortunately for the weak guards in the corners, the presences radiating off of Mina nearly made them collapse in fear. The mere mentioning of the one who turned her made even her cold blood boil in anger.

"…Weren't you going to offer me something, Mr. Q?" she asked as her voice racked with anger.

"Indeed." he nodded, "Now, despite what you have done, I am willing to look past this. Fact of the matter, Dr. Harker, you are more like us than you realize. You, too, are extraordinary. My reason for coming here today is that I want to offer you a place in not only the LXG, but my branch, as well. As a Senior Field Agent, I have the authority to recruit people I approve of into the League; and I also have special permission from the director to appoint the members of my branch personally. Should you accept my offer of joining the League, I can immediately add you to our ranks."

"What do I get out of it?" she asked reluctantly.

"Well, freedom from this place, for one thing." Quartermain scoffed, "And you shall be able to use your position and our resources to track down Dracula so you can kill him. That is what you want, isn't it?"

"Oh, no." Mina disagreed with a terrifying smile as her body shook with anger and the arm rests in her chair cracked, "I do not simply wish to kill Dracula. I want to carefully tear him apart limb from limb, cut open his chest and skull, and slowly take my time in examining everything that makes him tick. That way, I can finally understand what drives a creature to do what he did to me and my husband; just before I snuff out his godforsaken life."

"None of which you will be able to do whilst being a prisoner here." he reminded.

"Hmm," she hummed, "Well, when you put it that way, what else can I say but yes? I shall join your League, and your branch, Mr. Q."

"Excellent." Quartermain smirked.

"However, I do have one condition." she informed.

"Oh?"

"As I am sure that our little partnership will continue to go on for many years, should there ever come a time when the name Dracula is involved with our work, or we, by divine providence, actually come across the man, I want your word that I have your permission to pursue and end him."

"Deal." he nodded before digging into his pocket and placing Mina's new LXG coin on the table, "Guards, release _Agent_ Harker. Return her belongings and escort her, with care, out of the building once she is situated. I and the other members of our team shall be waiting for her outside. Oh, and one last thing before I forget, doctor."

"Yes?" she asked only to meet a terrifying glare from Quartermain's eyes which, for a moment, she believed had purple fire glowing behind his irises.

"Do not mistake this as a sign of trust." he warned standing from his seat, "You may now bear the coin, but I shall be watching you until the day you have proven yourself to me. Do not forget that."

Having left the room, Quartermain walked past his second-in-command who fumbled off the wall he was leaning on before following. "Well, what happened?" Nemo asked.

"We now have our seventh member." Quartermain replied.

"…I am not sure how I should feel about that considering who you just enlisted."

"Oh, relax, Nemo. Harker will cooperate." he assured, "We are the only ones who can give her what she wants."

"While that may be, you are aware that those guards you left behind are most likely informing the director as we speak, yes?" Nemo asked.

"Naturally." he nodded before exiting the prison. However, as soon as they did, they witnessed a strange sight. Flamel's entire right arm was now an enormous red snake with black and green eyes.

"Bloody hell!" Jekyll exclaimed in wonder.

"Now that's pretty slick, right there." Sawyer laughed.

"I know, I know." Flamel grinned.

"So, you can do that to any part of your body?" Skinner asked.

"Sure can." he nodded, "I can reconstruct my body however I want. Be it a limb, my face, even my voice. I could even turn myself into a woman or an animal if I so desired, which has come in handy ever since I joined up."

"…I am so glad that I got him before anyone else." Quartermain chuckled before dropping his smirk and joining them, "Gentlemen, gather round. We now have our seventh member."

"Bout damn time." Sawyer grinned, "Who'd you get, one of the workers here?"

"Wilhelmina Harker." he corrected causing them all to pale.

"What?!" they all cried.

"Are you crazy, you old geezer?!" Skinner shouted, "You recruited that blood sucker?!"

"Quartermain, there was a reason she was once the third most wanted criminal on our list." Jekyll reminded, "Even Nicholas is worried!"

"Yeah, and I'm the new guy!" Flamel agreed in panic, "Even I've heard of her. She's-she's-"

"A member of our team." Quartermain cut off, "And I expect all of you to treat her as your equal, for she is now an LXG agent, as well. Now, enough crying over it. If I hear one more whimper over my decision, I'll stick my riffle up that person's arse."

"Well, ain't he a bossy one?" Sawyer muttered to Flamel.

"Yeah, we might as well start calling him 'boss'." he joked.

And so, the mystery behind that has now been revealed.

"Seems like I'm not the only one with a temper." Mina playfully remarked as she exited the building, now wearing her black dress, gloves, overcoat, hat and veil along with her red scarf. "A pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen. I am Dr. Wilhelmina Harker. I look forward to working with all of you."

"Hello." Flamel politely nodded while the others made their own remarks.

"Ello, gorgeous." Skinner flirted walking up to the lady.

"Did anyone else hear something?" she asked walking past him, "It's as though something invisible is speaking. Too bad. I only have sex with things I can see and am impressed with."

"Oh!" Sawyer laughed before taking his shot, "Howdy, ma'am. I'm-"

"Not impressive." she flatly cut off as she walked past him and Jekyll, "Same goes for you, tail coat."

"But I didn't even-oh, forget it." he sighed dejectedly as she approached Flamel with a saucy smile.

"And you are?" she asked causing him to become nervous.

"I'm, uh…I forget." he replied as his face turned as red as his coat.

"Here, let me help." she giggled as she cupped his face and gave him a passionate kiss; which muffled his outcry of surprise. Much to the others' surprise, and utter irritation, the kiss lasted for roughly fifteen seconds, not that Flamel could comprehend the concept of time as it happened.

"There," Mina smiled, "Is that better?"

"Nicholas Flamel." he groaned about ready to fall backwards.

"Hmm, charmed." she smirked before walking off to the side with a sexy sway.

"Oh, that boy is going to be so much fun when he gets older." Mina thought as she discreetly licked her lips.

"I hate him." Jekyll, Skinner and Sawyer though as they glared at Flamel.

"Hey, Quartermain?" Flamel asked after regaining his senses.

"What is it?" he asked gruffly as they all returned to the entrance to their headquarters.

"Not to make it sound as though I am questioning your choice, but…does S know that you just released and recruited our newest edition?"

"Please, call me Mina." she said to them.

"R-right, Mina. Does he?" Flamel asked nervously as they stood on the platform.

"Seven going up." Quartermain barked to an identical copy of the cowboy on the other side.

"Seven 'goin up." he nodded before sending them up.

"Flamel, you worry too much." Quartermain sighed, "If the director has found out about this, then I am certain that he will notify me promptly."

True enough, after they crossed over and exited the room, they all were greeted by their leader's beautiful secretary, who did not look at all pleased to see them. "Agent Quartermain, the director demands your presence in his office, immediately. Follow me." she said firmly before turning on her heels and making her way towards the main building with Quartermain behind her.

"Well, our merry little band was short lived." Sawyer said bluntly after they were all left behind. Everyone else, including Mina, nodded in agreement as they watched the head of their branch walk away.

 **OUaT**

After decades of service to the LXG, every agent present in Storybrooke had witnessed, and delivered, their fair share of carnage and gruesomeness. However, watching Pride devour one of his own kind, his brother, left a pit in each of their stomachs that didn't seem close to fading away. That being said, they had no choice but to ignore it until their remaining opponent was dealt with. Even if it was cold of him, Pride wasn't at all disturbed by what he had done and was relishing in his newly added abilitiy and extended life. Using his sense of smell, his wicked smirk grew even larger.

"Ah, I see." he said giving the agents a side glance, "So that's where you're keeping them. Now that I have Gluttony's heightened sense of smell, I can easily pinpoint exactly where it is you are hiding Father's sacrifices. Once I've finished all of you off, I'll be sure to fetch them for him."

Before anyone could retort back at the runt, Pride once again unleashed his shadows on them all. Sawyer found himself being nearly impaled numerous times as Pride made spikes of shadows erupt from under his feet while his quickly backed away. As this happened, Quixote leapt into the air with his spear and made an attempt to drive its tip into the boy. Unfortunately, he was knocked back down by a row of teeth before rolling away from the other attacks. Skinner was unable to use his old tricks thanks to his scent being more obvious to Pride. Because of this, it was difficult for him to get in close without any weapons to back him up.

Back underneath the mansion, Nicholas was trying to keep himself under control as the fight went on. Given the great amount of noise they were all making, it was easy for him to understand that his friends weren't having an easy time against Pride.

"Boss," he called while bouncing his legs, "I know you said I can't go out there, but-"

"But nothing." Quartermain cut off, "You're staying here. Last thing any of us needs is you getting caught by those monsters the day before all hell breaks loose."

"But, boss-"

"I said, you're staying here!" he shouted causing the room to fill with silence. The air began to fill with tension as the two agents stared each other down with menacing glares. The air felt so heavy that the three women felt as though it was difficult to breathe.

"They're going to die if I stay here." Nicholas lowly growled past his teeth.

"And you risk everything if you leave." Quartermain retorted, matching his tone, "You need to stay here and protect the other sacrifices. I will let you leave when the sun rises, no sooner."

"Then you've sent out people to die."

"So be it." Quartermain replied.

"You heartless bastard!" Nicholas cried as he jumped out of his chair and charged at his leader. However, before he could sink his claws into the old man, Quartermain drew his riffle, topped with his knife, and pressed it against Nicholas' Adams Apple.

"I seem to recall hearing you say that you had faith in your comrades earlier when you were speaking to the Dark One. Have you lost that faith, Agent Flamel?" he coolly asked.

"Quit using my own words against me, old man." Nicholas hissed.

"They know what they're doing. Do not insult them by rushing in to finish off the enemy after they've done all the work." Quartermain lectured as he put away his weapon.

"Fine." he huffed, "But those doors better be unlocked _before_ sunrise. If things don't work out the way I've planned, I wanna see at least one more sunrise."

"Do you really think your plan will work?" Emma asked as they all sat back down.

"It has to, Em. Or we're all doomed." he replied.

"Tell me you've at least worked together a Plan B." Zelena begged.

"Oh, Plan B is what I've been working on the most out of everything I've set up in our counter measures. It's _the_ most elaborate thing I've developed for this." Nicholas explained.

"Then what's Plan A?" Emma asked.

"Plan A is simple, kill the Dwarf in the Flask before the eclipse begins tomorrow." he replied.

"Wouldn't that be rather difficult?" Gold asked finally joining in on the conversation, "He has your regenerative properties, am I right?"

"Actually, you're not, but I can see why you would think that." Nicholas corrected, "You see, that body you all saw him in in my memories isn't like what I have, or what any of you have. The best way I can describe it is to compare it to a leather bag."

"A leather bag?" Zelena asked.

"Yes." her brother nodded, "It's basically an imitation of my body acting as his new flask. If I can tear through that leather bag, he should die rather easily. That's why he has his 'children' doing all of his dirty work. He can't afford to do that sort of stuff without risking any damage to his container."

"It can't be that easy." Emma denied flatly.

"My thoughts exactly." he agreed, "Which is why I spent so much time setting up our alternative in case I either can't tear up that leather bag, or that doesn't work for some reason. But in either situation, he'll avoid confrontation at all costs which is why he'll stay down below until the time comes. And unless we kill as many of the other Homunculi as possible before that happens, he'll have more thrown in our way as we try to handle them and the Amestrians."

"There's just one thing that I don't understand." Gold interjected.

"And what's that?" Nicholas asked in annoyance at his old foe.

"Well, you've known about this for over fifty years, as you've said? So, why is it that with all your power, all your resources and all of your knowledge on the matter of the situation and your enemies…why are you just _now_ deciding to act, Nicholas Flamel?"

Whether they did not think of this question, or if they simply wanted to avoid hearing the answer, neither Emma or her lover's sisters thought to ask him that since he informed them of the Promised Day. Emma, more so than Zelena or Regina, felt a cold grip on her heart as they waited for his answer; and it didn't help when he decided to rise from his seat, turn his back on them and begin to smoke his pipe. Adding to her dread, he began to chuckle like the villain would before explaining his evil plan.

"So, you've finally pieced it together, eh, Mr. Gold?" he asked with a smirk as he let out his smoke, "Well, you can't really blame me for this. I am an alchemist, after all. We are very hungry and curious creatures. You want to know why I haven't done anything up until now? Well, I'll tell you. It's because I want to know if his little procedure will actually work. Oh, if you knew what I know about what he's planning, you'd want to see it for yourselves, too! I mean, come on! He's planning on making what happened in Xerxes look like a tea party, here. No one's ever done anything on this scale before. And this is going to affect the nine major realms, for crying out loud! How could I not want to know?!"

Just as Emma was about to shout at her true love in protest, after getting over her shock at his words, she was stopped once he turned around to face them with a dry look on his face.

"Or at least, that's what I would say if I was a complete and utter sociopath." he said flatly.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Oh, come on, Emma! How long have you known me? Would I ever say something that crazy and actually mean it?" he dryly asked.

"Well, I-I-but you, you'd-"

"In actuality," Nicholas interrupted with a heavy sigh, "That's what the director wants."

"What?" she asked again.

"Our director wants to know if the dwarf's plan will actually work. That's why he ordered me to come up with a counter measure that can reverse the process, afterwards. That's Plan B."

"How could anyone be that curious?!" Zelena shrieked.

"Well, the realm where our headquarters is located at isn't one of the realms caught in the alignment. So the way I see it, if he's not in the same level of danger as the others are, he has no qualms in wanting to know if this theory is possible or not." he replied, "Besides, it took us forever to find out all the information we've got on those guys. No small feat, I assure you."

"How could you possibly follow a man like that?" Emma asked hotly.

"It wasn't always like this." he whispered.

 **OUaT**

Back inside S's office, Allan Quartermain was getting the scolding of a lifetime; which was ironic considering the age difference between him and his director.

"In what possible way could you have put together that I would support such an undermining and downright ridiculous choice in a member of your team, Allan?!" S ranted in anger.

"I was only using the privileges you bestowed upon me by promoting me and granting me the authority in selecting the members of my branch, sir." Quartermain replied as he stiffly sat in his chair while S stomped and paced in front of him.

"I did not give you permission to exonerate and release prisoners from the Land of Untold Stories just so you could add them to the League!" S retorted, "Wilhelmina Harker, of all people, especially! You know how long it took us to finally catch her."

"I do, but I also believe that you were too quick to imprison her." he defended.

"Argh! The deputy director gave her more chances than I allowed him to give. All of which, she turned her back on in her pursuit of Dracula. I know what happened to her, Quartermain. And while I may have sympathies for her, I cannot let that cloud my judgment given all that she has done."

"With all due respect, Director, that seems hypocritical on your part. Have you forgotten how you and I met? I committed many crimes in my youth, some more severe than Harker's, and yet you, yourself, looked past those and offered me to join the LXG; even after I broke in and attempted to raid your vault." he argued.

"Yes, but there is a difference between you and Mrs. Harker, Quartermain. You accepted my offer the first, and _only_ time I gave it to you. Harker, on the other hand, refused it more times than I can count." S lectured, "I don't disagree with you, she is extraordinary. But remember, that does not mean she has a right to bear the coin."

"She is a grieving woman who seeks closure. I believe I can give her something better than what she thinks she wants." Quartermain defended.

"Allan, if this is because of your wife, I-"

"Everyone in this league has lost someone." he snapped in anger before controlling himself, "Everyone. Harker, myself, even you. We all understand loss. The only problem is, no one is capable of fixing themselves alone. Nemo believes I chose him and those agents based solely on their fighting capabilities, but he's wrong. I chose them because I could see that they all needed to be with people who could understand their pain and help them move on; and that included Harker."

As the new senior field agent gave his explanation, S calmed down, with the help of a cigar, and looked out to view the realm they were in through his window. With a heavy sigh, and a large plume of smoke, the director spoke once more.

"If you're in the League, it's proof enough that you never had an easy life and you never will." he said somberly giving another sigh, "Alright, Harker's in. But! If I catch wind of her falling into old habits, she goes back to that cell of hers with you in one of your own."

"I understand, sir." Quartermain nodded in thanks.

"You better, you crazy tiger." he grumbled while plopping in his chair, "I'll have you know, though, I didn't just call you in here to voice my anger and concerns about the vampire. There's another agent you recruited I want to talk to you about. It's about Nicholas."

"What about Flamel?" Quartermain asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Listen, Allan. Nicholas is going to have a hard time balancing out his personal life with his new position with the League."

"So the lad has to make up a few things to his family. Big whoop." Quartermain scoffed.

"Oh, it's a bigger whoop than you think." S flatly replied, "I take it he didn't tell you much about his family judging by that remark of yours."

"He said that he was from a royal family but his father practically has no chance at becoming next in line."

"Did he mention his mother?" S asked still looking dryly at the man before him.

"Only that she's incredibly high maintained and smothers him and his elder sister." he replied.

"There's more to it than that, I'm afraid." S corrected, "You're originally from the Enchanted Forest, correct? You ever hear of a sorceress named Cora?"

"Only that she's the only person to have ever been considered Rumplestiltskin's rival."

"And she also happens to be Nicholas's mother."

"…I should have pieced that together faster than I did." Quartermain bluntly admitted.

"Yeah, well, because of her, he has to make sure that no trace of the League exists probably more so than any other agent. If she were to ever find out about us…well, I think you know what would happen."

"We'd have to kill her and rob Flamel of his mother."

"Right, but I'd rather avoid that. I'm actually quite fond of that boy, I don't want cause any bad blood between us." S nodded.

"Is it true that you recruited him?" Quartermain asked, "He's a bit young."

"Maybe, but he's no child, that's for sure. There's more about him I want you to know, some personal stuff. He's a smart one, so he'll probably figure it out that I've told you about this. That being said, I want you to keep your mouth shut until he feels comfortable with telling the rest of you about this."

"What is it?"

"For ten years of his life, Nicholas was a slave in the desert kingdom of Xerxes." S informed causing Quartermain's eyes to widen in shock, "From the age of four, to fourteen or fifteen. He belonged to an alchemist that served in the king's court and was appointed as his assistant about eight years or so after being sold to him."

The older agent said nothing, for his teeth were too clenched in anger. Even though he met Flamel only hours before, he was still his subordinate.

"It's left some scars on him. Not physical, but emotional and mental. Because of this, he has developed a fear of whips so strong, he'll start having panic attacks at the mere sight of one. I know you don't use them, but Agent Sawyer has for his previous missions. Do not let him wield one if you're going to have Nicholas onboard."

"Yes, sir." he nodded.

"Also, in case you haven't seen it, there is a reason why he's called the Immortal Alchemist."

"I'm aware. Myself and the others witnessed a demonstration earlier."

"But did he tell you how it was possible?" S asked earning silence, "I thought not. The source of his immortality comes from what is commonly known as the Philosopher's Stone. Have you heard of it?"

"No."

"Few have and even fewer know how to make them." S replied while using his magic to pull a book across the room into his hand, "Contrary to what Nicholas thinks, I know quite a bit about alchemy. The stone has appeared in legends, often under different names. The red stone, the elixir of life, the grand panacea; it's all the same thing. And Nicholas' got one."

"I didn't see anything like that on him." Quartermain remarked.

"That's because it's not _on_ him, it's _in_ him." he corrected, "The Philosopher's Stone can indeed grant immortality, but only when entered into the body the one seeking it. From there, it changes the body and grants them eternal life and longevity; and an apparent regeneration ability."

"You said that only a few know how the stone is created. Do you?" Quartermain asked.

"Unfortunately." he sighed, "The stone is a concentrated form of a person's life force. It is made by sacrificing multiple human lives and using that energy to amplify an alchemist's alchemy and bypass the laws of equivalent exchange. The more souls that are sacrificed, the more energy the stone has for the alchemist to use."

"I find it hard to believe that Flamel was willing to perform such an act, director." Quartermain debated, "He told me that it was forced on him by someone he knew."

"Yes, he told me the same thing. Well, regardless of who actually did it, I was able to put the pieces together as to what happened. Someone in Xerxes made a Philosopher's Stone by sacrificing the entire kingdom's population; and the only person who survived was Nicholas who acquired the stone in the process."

"Hmm." the old man hummed as silence filled the room.

"You cannot let the others know about this, Allan. Not until Nicholas is ready to place his trust in all of you. He needs your companionship more than he knows. Remember," S said as he flipped up his bangs to reveal a third eye in the center of his forehead, "I've got my eyes on you people."

"Yes, sir." he smirked, "I understand, Director Solomon."

 **OUaT**

The clashing of blades and gunfire continued to ring through the air as the agents pressed on against Pride. Despite Quartermain's orders, Nicholas still wanted to go out there and help. That being said, he wasn't completely useless. It took him some time, but he was able to discreetly make a small tunnel with a tendril from under his heel. It wasn't meant as a means of escape, but rather a way for him to fight, as well. As Pride arrogantly smirked at the struggling gentlemen, he failed to notice the small hole digging up behind him.

As soon as it broke through the dirt, the tendril extended about six feet and turned into a black hand and arm with an eye at the center of its palm. Surging with red alchemic lightning, it charged and grabbed the brat's head before deconstructing it. While the boy cried out in agony, the other agents smirked and took action.

"Nicholas, you are one glorious bastard." Sawyer smirked before they all rushed Pride.

Quixote made the first move by launching his spear into the air, which went straight into Pride's chest before Jekyll yanked it out and Skinner kneed the boy in the face. From there, Sawyer put him in a headlock giving Shan Yu the chance to repeatedly punch his ribs until they were broken into tiny pieces; not that they could tell, but he managed to collapse the kid's heart in the process before it healed. After tossing him to the side, Mina carried on by tearing out his throat with her claws. Panting while he healed, Pride began to notice that he was at the end of his ropes and that he was struggling to maintain his shadows' stability.

"Damn, miserable humans!" Pride cursed as his body began to break apart. This did not go unnoticed by the others, so Sawyer took the chance to grab the boy from behind with his arm under his neck. Not even bothering to say anything witty, the agent wasted no time in snapping Pride's neck, thus finishing him off. With his deconstructing body falling to the ground and becoming dust in the wind, Pride let a few tears fall and gave his final words.

"Father?" he whispered in fear as death finally took him.

"What a foolish boy." Quixote sighed, shaking his head. Back inside the mansion, Nicholas rose from his chair and made his way over to the massive doors keeping him inside.

"Boss?" he asked in almost a sad tone.

"Hmm, go on." Quartermain sighed as he unlocked the doors.

"Emma, Zelena, come on. I want you to see this." he said to his girlfriend and sister.

"And that's what happened." Quartermain said to Regina as he finished his tale, but leaving out his director's identity, "Since then, your brother has worked alongside us fighting for the stability of all realms."

"Well, that was riveting tale, Mr. Quartermain." Regina sarcastically remarked, "But it still doesn't excuse the fact that my brother has kept this side hidden from me for all these years."

"Perhaps, but I hope it does allow you to comprehend the sacrifices he has made during that time. As well as keeping you from facing death at the hands of another agent." Quartermain retorted causing realization to dawn on her face, "You didn't really think that after everything you had done, you weren't on the League's radar, did you? Had it not been for your brother constantly convincing our people to let you live, well, you would have been killed a long time ago, Your Majesty; I believe the same can be said regarding your mother, as well. All he has ever done, was for the sake of those he loves. I hope you remember that the next time you lecture him for doing his job."

Outside the mansion, Nicholas gazed at the horizon with his sister and girlfriend watching behind him. To them, the upcoming sunrise did not have as much meaning as it did to Nicholas. Nevertheless, they still joined him as he patiently waited. As he did, the other agents were walking through the clearing Pride had created back to the mansion.

"Well, that makes three Homunculi taken care of, now." Sawyer remarked, "That just leaves Sloth, Greed, Lust, Wrath and their father."

"This won't be as easy as I had hoped." Mina sighed.

"How easy did you think it would be, Mina?" Skinner asked.

"I mean, I had hoped that we would have been able to defeat at least one Homunculus without Nicholas' help." she clarified, "So far, he's the only one who's been able to do the most damage to any of them. We may have killed Pride, but it was only after he used his alchemy on him."

"Well, then we'll just have to find another one before tomorrow and kill it without him." Skinner chuckled.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, mi amigo." Quixote denied, "Look."

Sure enough, they all turned to witness the beginning of what might be the end.

"The sun is rising." Shan Yu said as their hearts hardened.

From his spot on the porch, Nicholas said aloud as light shined on his face the words that he had dreaded, and waited to say for so many years. "The Promised Day has begun."

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this LONG ass chapter and that it makes up for my lack of updates lately. Also, I put a little classic movie reference in here. If anyone spotted it, let me know. This chapter was mostly for adding more details concerning my version of the League as well as the background for the main team's formation.**

 **As for the director, Solomon is somewhat of an OC of mine. He's based off of characters I have come across with the same name in other works and blended together. As for why I call him S, it's a play on how Moriarity called himself M in the movie. Get it? S for Solomon. We'll get into more about him later on in the series, but it will be a while. Which reminds me.**

 **As we are all aware of, OUaT has finally finished this year. Sad, yes, I know. But that brings me to something I want to tell all of you. I thought about mentioning this after we got through season 6, but who knows how long that will take? My news for all of you is this. I will NOT be following the plot line of season 7. I will take a few characters that were used in it and alter them for this story, but as far as going to the wish realm or Hyperion Heights and blending all the realms together goes...yeah, that's not gonna happen. Mostly because I did not like that season because the plot was completely unorganized and that I can't find a way for Nicholas to be involved in that.**

 **I thought about working him into it, but all I could come up with was making him Isaac from Baccano as a source of comedic relief. Which I am not going to do.**

 **Sorry if that disappoints some of you, but I've made up my mind. Oh, and to the guest who left that review the other day. As I said, yes, I am doing season 6, but it will have a lot of twists involving the League. No, Nicholas will not lose his powers after the Promised Day. And I'm glad you are enjoying this story.**

 **Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this. If you have any comments of questions, feel free to leave a review or PM me. You feedback makes this all the more enjoyable. And if you haven't already, like/follow this story and me if you want to stay updated. Until next time!**


	75. On the Battlefield

**Hey, guys and gals! Bet you weren't expecting a chapter this soon, huh? I certainly wasn't. Hope everyone is having a good summer, better than mine, at least. I just got back from Basic Camp last week, and boy am I glad to be home! I got to tell you, marching around in that uniform in the heat every day was not exactly what I would call fun; especially when I had gotten sick and almost passed out from the heat four times. But it was really fun when we got to shoot our M-16s at the shooting range which went away the next day when they stuck us in gas chambers :/ But, either way, I'm done, I'm home, and most importantly, I'm not having to eat MREs for lunch everyday.**

 **Just a fair warning, this chapter is much shorter than the last one. Like 28 pages on word, shorter. So with that in mind, there's something I want to let you all know. Now, I don't really have a set length on my chapters, but I'm most likely not going to write another one as long as the previous chapter. Mainly because after rereading it I noticed that it is difficult to maintain the same train of thought over a span of six months with long periods of time in-between writing sessions. So, future chapters will not be as long, but they also won't always be as short as the ones I wrote back when we were in season 1.**

 **Oh, and to the guest who left the most recent review, I think you misunderstood what I said in the last chapter. I'm NOT discontinuing this story. What I said was that I am not going to write my own version of season 7 like I have done for the previous five given how much I dislike that season. I mean, I thought it was worse than the first half of season 5.**

 **But in any case, here's the next chapter in The Evil Queen's Brother. Hope you all enjoy!**

What seemed like any other morning in Storybrooke was actually so much more. Silence and tension filled the air as the sun continued to steadily rise. Snow and David managed to spread the word about the Promised Day, as well as Nicholas' involvement; although, concerns were raised when they learned about the Lost Boys. Nevertheless, the defenses were set and the civilians were kept safe and off the streets. Standing at the one spot where all of Storybrooke could be seen, Nicholas took in the sight of his home for what he feared could be the last time.

"I have both waited and dreaded this day for over fifty years. Now I find myself at risk of losing so much more than what I once had." he said aloud.

"But you are not alone today, Nicholas Flamel." Quartermain reminded as he and the rest of their team joined him.

"Not on this day or that _will_ follow." Nemo added.

"We stand together." Mina nodded.

"As one." said Jekyll.

"From the beginning to the end." Skinner promised.

"As family." Sawyer finished.

"Hmm," Nicholas smiled, "I love you guys."

Almost in unison, the seven gentlemen took out their coins, ready to flip.

"Head, we win," Quartermain began as they all flipped.

"Tails, they lose!" they cried. Inside the mansion, Rumplestiltskin watched as Bluebeard released Belle onto a sofa.

"Make it quick." he said stiffly before giving them space.

"My dear Belle," Rumple sighed kneeling at her side, "Today marks the 'Promised Day,' as Flamel calls it. As one of the ones chosen to be sacrificed, there seems to be no escape. And while I would like nothing more than to continue finding a way to wake you, I've been told that it is safer for you, and our child, inside the box. But once this day has ended, I will come running back to you and continue my work so that, finally, we can be together again and become a proper family."

To prove his love for her was true, Rumple pressed his lips against his wife's, with a desperate hope that it would wake her up. But much to his disappointment, she continued to sleep.

"Time's up, Dark One." Giles informed from behind.

"I love you, Belle." Rumple whispered before Giles sealed her away once more.

In the main room, Emma looked around while Zelena paced around while talking on her cell phone. Regina had returned home not long before to keep an eye on Henry, which, somewhat, put Emma at ease. Although, her boyfriend's eldest sister was still concerned about her child.

"Zelena, Robin will be fine. My parents won't let anything happen to her." Emma coaxed.

"I know, I know." she sighed, "But sweet, little brother didn't exactly paint today in a pretty picture."

"And for good reasons, sister dear." Nicholas retorted as he and the others came in, armed and ready.

"So, when exactly is the eclipse going to start?" Emma asked.

"I'd say about…12:38." Nicholas speculated.

"12:38?" she asked.

"What, were you expecting 8:15?" he asked bluntly, "But you can expect that the Amestrians will be here before then."

"My crew is keeping an eye, as we speak." Nemo informed, "We are expecting them to arrive via portal past the town line. If not there, we have multiple squads and platoons stationed out throughout the woods and town."

"Then the fun begins." Sawyer grinned in excitement.

"Fun?" Emma snapped, "You think this is fun?"

"Oh, yeah." he nodded while drawing his pistol, "It's been a long time since I really got to kill people."

"What about the Lost Boys?" she dryly asked.

"Oh, they don't count. They we're just a warm up." he taunted knowing it would set her off. But just as she was about to say something, her alchemist interjected.

"Hon, he's just trying push your buttons. But in any case, they'll more than likely only come after us League agents."

"Why?" Zelena asked.

"Well, it's like we told you, they need you ladies, Gold and the civilians alive in order to perform the procedure. And we're the ones trying to stop them and kill them." Skinner reminded, "Out of all of us, Nicholas is the only agent they don't plan on killing; not just yet, anyway."

"Even so, we can handle the Amestrians." Mina assured just before Nicholas jolted upright in his chair. With his eyes wide and his breath hitched, he softly spoke to them.

"They're here."

Just as Nemo had predicted, several portals opened at the edge of the town line. Leading the way on a white horse was an old, highly ranked officer with glasses, gray hair and matching mustache wearing a decorated blue uniform. Walking at his right side was a, younger, highly ranked officer wearing the same uniform with black hair and dark eyes.

"What are you thinking, Colonel Mustang?" the old man asked.

"About what, General Grumman?" Mustang asked, "This land, sir? Well, it certainly seems like it rains quite often."

"No, no, about what the Fuher said, regarding this 'League' we are up against." Grumman clarified.

 **OUaT**

Looking down upon the vast army he controlled, Wrath, or Fuher King Bradley as he was known to them, cleared his throat before making his grand speech to the foolish humans he had under his control.

"Soldiers of Amestris, as you all have come to understand, our country has stood as the strongest power over all others we have fought against. Since its foundation, Amestris has been the proud example of bravery, honor and duty. Each and every one of you has dedicated your lives to defending this nation and its people. While you may come from villages in different parts of the country, your oaths as soldiers bring you together. As your Fuher, I have asked much of all of you, and today, I must ask for more. In an attempt to discover secrets beyond our world, the government's alchemist made a startling discovery; our world is not the only one. We are, in fact, just one of many. Since this discovery was made, we have attempted and succeeded in crossing over to these other lands in hopes of learning of their cultures and sharing our prosperity with their own. However, we were quick to learn that there are others whom know of the other lands and have exploited and dominated them for their own selfish desires. An organization that calls itself 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.' Corrupt and powerful individuals whom kill any that stand in their way of controlling any land they set their eyes on. I have seen the carnage they have wrought for myself, and it has plagued my mind ever since. As both a soldier and a leader, I cannot allow innocent people to be terrorized by those who deem themselves superior to them because they hold more power. It may be presumptuous of me to think this, but I believe that all who wear this uniform, can agree with me. So, I stand before you know, brave defenders of Amestris, and ask you this. Who here is willing to put an end to this tyranny before it consumes us all?"

Not surprising him in the process, every naïve soldier cheered in agreement at their leader's words. While still maintain his stoic expression, Wrath's mind was filled with disgust as the lesser beings he despised cheered for him in a blind act of agreement to give up their lives for such an obvious lie.

"What naïve creatures humans are." he thought.

 **OUaT**

"Well, not sound arrogant," Mustang said with an arrogant tone and expression, "But I highly doubt that Amestris' finest will have any difficulty against just seven people."

"Really?" Grumman asked skeptically.

"Are you worried, sir?"

"Well, I wouldn't use the word 'worried' per say." Grumman defended, "But the way I see it, if a man such as Fuher Bradley felt compelled to warn us about such a small group of people, and believed that an entire battalion was necessary for them, then they just might be a bit stronger than most would believe at first glance."

"I suppose. But may I ask you something, sir?"

"Of course."

"Why is it that you're the only one who gets a horse?" Mustang dryly asked.

"Because I'm old and I'm a general, that's why." Grumman flatly replied with a wide, cocky smile covered his face.

After marching for several hundred meters, the leading officers eventually led their troops into the quiet, little town. However, they did not find themselves alone once they reached the town square. Standing alone with only a flask in his hand, Jekyll looked down his nose at the general once he stopped roughly ten feet in front of him.

"Good morning." Jekyll politely greeted.

"Good morning." Grumman nodded with a smile, "A bit early for liquor, don't you think?"

"You'll have to excuse me, my companions and I had a tiresome night."

"I take it you are a member of this league I've heard so much about, then?" he asked.

"Yes, and you are all members of the Amestrian military." Jekyll nodded, "I have a message for you from our leader. Abandon this act of suicide. Leave this land and never return, or else all of you shall die."

Anyone that heard this busted into laughter; all except Mustang and Grumman. Both were experience war veterans, in their own right and could tell the difference between blind arrogance and absolute certainty. And Dr. Henry Jekyll did not strike them as an arrogant man. Still, taking the words of just one man while having an entire armed battalion at your back did not set the best example one wants as a leader.

"While we appreciate the warning, I'm afraid we cannot allow you people to continue to subjugate the people of this town any further." Mustang replied, "Also, if you're going to threaten an armed military force like ours, you should at least bring another person to back you up."

"…What is your name, sir?" Jekyll asked.

"Colonel Mustang. Why do you ask?"

"Because we completely agree with you, Colonel."

" _We_?" Mustang thought as Jekyll downed the flask, "What are you doing?"

"Bringing out the other person." he smiled.

Not a moment later, the doctor began to erratically twitch and convulse as his body and muscles grew to an unnatural size. While the sight did frighten them, the soldiers acted on instinct as they readied their weapons and aimed them at the monster before them. But just before they could open fire, the transformation was complete and a mighty roar filled the air before a massive arm and fist collided with their bodies, flinging them into the air. Even after so many years, the other six agents who knew this sound better than anyone knew what was happening. Mr. Edward Hyde had returned.

 **OUaT**

Earlier that morning, Nicholas had explained his plan for the battle that lied ahead. "So, here's how we're gonna play this out. After the Amestrians arrive, Jekyll will intercept them once they reach the town square and offer them a warning to leave while they still can. In the unlikely event that they accept it, Quixote and Shan Yu will escort them back home. But, should they refuse, and they will, Jekyll, I want you to let Hyde do the talking from there, if you catch my drift."

"Understood. I'm sure he'll be happy to handle negotiations from that point." Jekyll nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure he will." Nicholas nodded, "From there, Nemo's men will engage the enemy as they scatter away from Hyde, thus acting as the signal for the rest of us to join in, as well. Once we've revealed ourselves, it should draw out the remaining Homunculi that haven't been ordered to stay and guard their father. You guys can pair up however you like, I don't care. The important thing is to kill as many of them as possible and keep the civilians safe until the eclipse."

"What about you, Nicholas?" Emma asked.

"I'll be going alone once the fighting starts. While everyone is fighting up top, I'll be working my way down below to confront my old friend. He and I are long overdue for a little chat." Nicholas growled, "As for you three, Gold, I want you to reinforce the barriers we have set up on the buildings and homes filled with people. Zelena, you need to stick close to Regina and Henry; since the enemy can't hurt you, I need you defending our family. Emma, you can do the same for your parents and the Hooks if you want."

"And why should I do that?" Gold asked.

"Because you and I have an agreement; and I can still kill your wife and child if you don't do as I say." Nicholas retorted with an annoyed glare.

"Fine." the Dark One spat past his gritting teeth.

"Are you sure you want us out there?" Emma asked, "After all that talk and work about keeping us away from all that?"

"That was different." he replied, "They can't afford to bring any harm to any of you with what little time they have left. And, we won't be able to keep our eyes on you while we're all fighting. Besides, one way or another, he'll have us all gathered when he's ready to use us; unless I can kill him before it happens. So, it's up to you. You can either stay with your family, or you can join in on the fighting. Like I said, either way, unless I kill the bastard, we're all gonna end up in the same place when starts getting dark out. But, if you're gonna fight, don't show them any mercy. You'll have to kill anyone out there wearing an Amestrian uniform. Think you can?"

"I'm not a killer, Nicholas." she argued.

"Then stay with your family and out of our way." he coldly suggested, "Z, I know you don't really care much for other people, so, you can kill them if you want to."

"It does sound tempting." his sister smirked, "I'll think about it."

"Better think fast, we've got like five hours before the eclipse begins." he warned, "By the way, Jekyll, you may want to poof yourself to the town square. Those jack wagons should be there by now."

"Consider it done." he smiled before crushing a rock and poofing away.

 **OUaT**

As Hyde continued to knock away the soldiers, just as Nicholas planned, Nemo's crew emerged from the rooftops and alleyways armed and firing at the blue wearing foreigners. However, unlike the previous battles in town, Nemo decided to lead his men, sword drawn and dripping with blood. As he did, Hyde dug his massive hands into the ground and lifted up a large piece of concrete to act as a shield for his old, turban wearing friend.

"Good to see you after so long, Edward." Nemo greeted as he and Ishmael took cover, "Sorry that it had to be done during all this trouble."

"Trouble?" Hyde asked in a monstrous version of Jekyll's, "I call it sport. Nicholas asked us to help, and help him we shall. Let us show these Amestrians what happens when you pick a fight with the LXG!"

Crying out another tremendous roar, the hulking gentlemen resumed tearing through the enemy's defenses; sometimes literally when he would rip them in half. Nemo wasted no time in displaying his mastery of swordplay as he used his scimitar to slice off the soldiers' arms, heads, and the barrels of their weapons with Ishmael's guns to back him up. As they continued their onslaught, two Amestrian soldiers took cover in a nearby alley while they loaded their riffles.

"This is insane!" one of them cried, "What in the world is that monster?!"

"He's not a monster, he's just extraordinary." Skinner whispered in his ear before snapping his neck from behind. Before the other man could even scream, Skinner punched him in the throat, causing him to stop breathing before he suffocated and died.

"Oh, yes." he said softly to himself as he clenched and unclenched his hands, "This is going to be fun."

Out in the woods, the small company that had broken off earlier before the battalion reached town began to advance their movement through the trees in an effort to join the others. However, they were not able to make it as far as they planned. In a swarm of bats, Mina wasted no time in picking off the nearest soldier into the trees where she feasted on his blood. It took his battle buddy a moment, but he realized soon after the other one was missing; that is when his pale corpse was dropped right in front of him.

"We've got company!" he cried as Mina jumped down and sank her fangs into his neck. With her eyes as red as the very liquid covering her mouth, the beautiful vampire drew her daggers and used them to deflect the barrage of bullets aimed towards her as she advanced on the Amestrians. For some, she stabbed. Others, she slit their veins or throats. For those few that were left after she took down the others, she made a meal out of each of them, as well. As she did this, Giles was watching her from his position on the battlefield through a spy glass.

"Looks like the good doctor is enjoying herself." he said aloud as a young soldier charged and screamed at him, only to be shot in the chest by the priest's short, double-barrel shotgun, "I only pray that she's not enjoying herself too much."

Coincidently, as Bluebeard said this, Mina continued to drink the blood of the soldiers trying to kill her. As she did, her skin began to grow paler, her fangs and claws grew longer and sharper, and it seemed as though her eyes became darker with each quart of blood she drank. All of this, Giles saw which made him concerned for his comrade.

"Oh, Lord," he prayed as he gave the sign of the cross, "Though she is a creature made by the hands of demons, guide this poor woman to your warm, loving light. Lord, hear my prayer. Amen."

After briefly showing the side of himself that made him a priest, Gilles returned to the side that made him an LXG agent, a cold hearted killer like the others. Rather than continuing to use his shotgun for the entire day, which would have meant death considering how long it takes to reload, Giles opted for another weapon in his arsenal. Like all agents, he was skilled in multiple styles of combat and weapons, so it came as no surprise that he would bring a sword for such an important mission; and to match his strong sense of faith, it was designed like a Templar's sword, to boot.

Though his skills were nowhere near the level of Nemo's, Giles was still a master swordsman, in his own right. Given the number of corpses he left behind, he certainly proved they weren't anything to sneeze at, either. By this point, some of the Amestrian soldiers were able to find cover and bring out the bigger guns; namely machine guns to match the ones used by Nemo's crew. Back at the Mansion, everything from the town could be heard, even through its thick walls. Emma and Zelena hadn't left yet but the ringing of gunfire in the air made them hesitant to go. Sawyer, on the other hand, was practically skipping through the halls in excitement with a sadistic grin on his face.

"It's guns. I love guns!" he cheered before stopping once he heard the machine guns, "Machine guns? That's even better! This'll be fun. Sounds like death, and danger. It sounds bad. Danger, danger! What's happening outside? Is there blood? Who's killing who? Where did they get shot? I have to see. Things are finally getting exciting~! Yes! Yes, yes, yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

After running outside, raring and ready to kill, Sawyer looked upon the very weapon he had been waiting to use ever since Nemo put the finishing touches on it. With the captain's signature design, a large tank was parked on the lawn, fully armed and prepped for battle. Filled with excitement, Sawyer couldn't help himself but clap like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Yay!" he laughed as he climbed in, "Let's go kill some Amestrians, boys!"

While the chrome covered tank slowly made its way towards town, the other agents continued to tear away the enemy. Quixote and Shan Yu joined in at one point and assisted their fellow newcomer, Bluebeard, in cutting them down. Plenty of bodies, both from the crew and the arm, littered the ground and grew with each ring of gunfire and slash of blades; and in Hyde's case, every ground shaking fist to the road. So far, none of the agents had a single wound on them, only the blood of the soldiers they were killing. Quite frankly, they were all becoming bored, Shan Yu, especially.

"Is this it?" he asked, yanking his sword out of a fresh corpse, "Is this all these Homunculi have to offer?"

As soon as he asked this, Mina's eyes widened just a split second before they all felt the ground tremble while a noise from below grew louder and louder. Just as he did before, Sloth erupted from the ground with his ever tiresome expression and personality.

"Oh, you shouldn't have asked that." Giles bluntly remarked.

"It's so noisy up here." Sloth complained, "Such a pain. But it's such a bigger pain that Father told me to shut them up, too. Oh, well."

"You think he means us?" Mina joked.

"I'd be offended if he didn't." Nemo replied.

"Can we please stop bantering and deal with the problem at hand?!" Skinner shrieked. Apparently, Sloth's physique intimidated him and made him concerned at the possibility of him having to fight the big guy.

"I'll have to agree with Skinner, on this one." Giles admitted nervously, "Perhaps we should talk later. This one is rather tricky to injure."

"Quite right." Mina nodded before letting out a sharp whistle, "Oh, Hyde!"

Causing the ground to shake with each step he took, the behemoth gentlemen hustled over to join in. As he did, the others gave him plenty of room once they noticed that he had caught on to what they wanted. In other words, they got the hell out of his way as he roared and charged at Sloth before sucker punching him in the jaw thus knocking him through Granny's.

"No!" Skinner cried dramatically, "Not the diner! Where else are we going to have the majority of the town scenes?!"

"Hey," Mina snapped smacking him upside the head, "No fourth wall break."

"Sorry." he grumbled as a wild bullet zoomed over his head, "Oh, right. Forgot about them. Charge!"

Shrugging their shoulders, the other agents followed the Invisible Man's lead, drew their weapons and ran back into battle with their own battle cries. Back with Hyde and Sloth, both monsters went back and forth between punching each other with all their might. With every hit Hyde landed, Sloth's broken bones healed themselves and with every punch he threw, Hyde embraced the pain and bled. Knocking him over, Sloth held Hyde to ground, ready to smash his head. Unfortunately for the Homunculus, just as it was about to bring down its fist, a well sized hole suddenly burst from his wrist followed by another which blew off the rest of his hand. Far off at the spot where he spoke with Nicholas earlier that morning, Quartermain looked down the barrel of his riffle, lacking a scope, with his ever heartless glare. After readying the next shot, he fired again, watching as the next round went through Sloth's eye.

Hyde then took the chance to slug him again into another building, tackle him and drive him through even more, empty, buildings. That is until they hit a magic covered house which prevented them from going any further; with the added bonus of burning through Sloth's back as he continued to push. However, Sloth wasn't willing to let death take him, so he relentlessly slammed his fists into Hyde's back.

"I could use a hand here!" Hyde shouted past his teeth and pain.

"I'm coming, big guy. Hang on." Mina said to herself as she jumped over each rooftop then onto Sloth's shoulders, straddling his collar and tearing out his eyes and punching his face into a bloody pulp. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much.

"Get off!" Sloth slurred as he grabbed her and hurled Mina away before lifting Hyde off the ground and throwing him away, as well.

While she tried to pick herself up and let her wounds heal, Mina grunted in pain as she thought to herself, "Where the hell is Nicholas when you need him?"

To answer this question, while all the fighting was going on, Nicholas had slipped by, unnoticed, into the library and its elevator. Once he made it all the way down, he had to maneuver his way through the secret tunnel he discovered so long ago to his former friend's lair. If one was to ever dive that deep underground, they'd know when they would begin to reach the lair by the amount of metal pipes and halls taking place over the carven rock tunnels. Unlike the previous battles the past few days, where he was selective of his weapons, Nicholas decided to take everything with him for this. His sword, guns, knives, gloves, and even his gauntlets. All of which he kept on his person where anyone looking could see. This was meant to show any enemies willing to pick a fight with him that he was armed and ready. Of course, this would mean nothing to the ones he actually planned on fighting today. As he continued his walk, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Well, look who finally decided to come back down here."

Looking up with a dark expression, Nicholas saw Greed, smirking down at him with his shield already covering everything from the neck down. "Hey, Greed. What's up?" Nicholas asked.

"Oh, not much. Just been waiting down here for you to show up, is all. Father knew you'd be coming down here on your own." Greed replied.

"Did he? So, what are you here for? My welcoming committee?" he dryly asked.

"Ha!" Greed laughed before jumping down to the alchemist's level, "As if. Father wants me to keep you from going any further until it's time for the sacrifices to gather together."

"…You know he's sent you here to die, don't you?" Nicholas asked, slightly feeling sorry for the artificial human, "You can't beat me, and you certainly can't hold me back for that long. You're just meant to give him a little more time."

"Oh, and like you know how he thinks?" Greed scoffed.

"Better than any of you." he replied, drawing his sword, "In fact, I know more about you and your siblings than you think."

"I find that hard to believe." Greed scoffed, "The others always keep to themselves, but me? I'm an open book. I'm greed itself. I want money, women, and power. Status, sex, and glory. I demand the finer things in life. I want everything."

"The finer things in life, huh?" Nicholas asked, slightly lowering his sword, "Are you sure all those things are you want? What you truly want?"

"Hahaha! Of course that's what I want!" he laughed, "What else is there for me _to_ want? Why would anyone not want any of those things?"

"All that glitters is not gold, as they say." Nicholas rejected, "No matter. After today, you won't be able to want anything ever again. Prepare yourself for death, Homunculus."

"Bring it on, alchemist." Greed smiled before covering his face with his shield and charging at his opponent with his claws.

 **Finally, the Amestrian army is here! For those FMA Brotherhood fans, I hope you liked that little cameo I put in at the beginning and don't worry, they'll be back in later chapters. Also, I included a little quote from another anime that I hope** ** _somebody_** **notices. I'm really surprised no one commented on my "Magnificent Seven" reference in the previous chapter. And no, I don't mean the remake, I'm talking about the original classic. Come on, there has to be some Western movie fans out there! The genre may be dead now, but they're still good movies. I won't lie, you'll see quite a lot coming from Sawyer and Quartermain as we go on. And yes, I know Quartermain is a British fictional character, but he's about as close to John Wayne as it gets in this story.**

 **As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this and if there is anything you would like to say regarding it or future chapters, please either PM me or leave a review. And if you haven't already, like and follow this story/me if you want to stay updated. If you have any questions for what happened in the chapter you just read, or the previous one, you can ask me. I enjoy having conversations with my readers and receiving feedback. In fact, here's something to get the ball rolling.**

 **Topics for Conversation**

Director Solomon

 **Bilbo Baggins and The Dragon as the League's founders**

 **Future League agents you'd like to see**

League Agent backgrounds

 **Anything you guys want to talk about, I'm open to it. I've got over a month left before I go back to school and I'm not working because of camp, so I have a hell of a lot of free time when I'm not with friends and family or growing vegetables. So, again, I hope you enjoyed, and have a great summer!**


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